I am a Browns Fan

Yes, I am from northeast Ohio and yes, I love the Browns! On fall and winter Sunday afternoons you can undoubtedly find me, my husband and even Gabe watching the Browns. And while we generally watch the Browns lose, we still watch. And each game we still cheer and each game I am 'sure' that they are going to pull out a win.

Take yesterday for instance, Matt and I were fortunate enough to get to go to the Home opener. We cheered, stood up, cried foul and cheered some more all whilst willing the Brown's to pull together a win. We waited until the time clock read 1:07 and the officials had ruled that the Chiefs made their 1st down before we vacated our seats and joined the swarms of people who were leaving the stadium.

Upon walking out of the stadium I realized that no matter how good (or how bad) the Browns play on the field I will still watch, still cheer and still hope that they're able to pull through. Whether the season go as I predict ( 9 - 7 with a play-off bid) or follow their current streak and end 0 -16 I will continue to be a Browns fan, continue to cheer them on and continue to wallow in the grief of being devoted to a team that continues to let me down.

And that's when it hit me! Not quite an epiphany but a realization all the same. Sometimes, a lot less often than before thank goodness, but occasionally all the same, the relationship I have with God reflects my love affair with the Browns.

You see I struggle all on my own, I do my best but when I'm doing it all on my own my best just doesn't work. And quite often when I'm doing things myself I fumble, fall and fail at reaching my goal. Just like the Browns.

For the Browns there are 11 players on the offense, 11 on the defense, special teams players, coaches, assistants and trainers but more often than not they forget that they're part of a team, rely little on one another and fall short of getting the win.

And sometimes I'm that way too. I forget that I'm not a one-man team. I forget that I have a captain (God) to lead me, a coach (God) to help direct my moves and watch over me and lots of friends and family that are in this adventure with me.

But just like the Browns, when I fumble, fail or even forget to try God is right there with me. And when he watches from the sidelines and sees me ignoring His playbook (my Bible), He still helps me up each time I fall. He still cheers me on, lifts my spirits and directs my path. And while it may not always be pretty... while I may get disgusted with how the Browns play but still cheer them on, I am certain there are times that God is disgusted with the way I forget to let Him lead, leave Him out of certain areas of my life and let Him down He is always still there for me.

Now I'm not in anyway trying to say that I love the Browns as much as God loves me because that's certainly not true. For one I would never allow Gabriel to die so that the Browns could live (or win) and secondly no love could ever compare to God's love.

During that long walk from the stadium filing by equally disappointed Browns fan, God used that moment to show me that no matter what happens, no matter who wins or loses, regardless of the end results He is there.

And while there are times my faith in the Browns will waiver my faith in God will not. And while my Browns may continue to let me down, my God won't.

That, my friends, is the best win yet!