By Sandra Bost
I grew up in Northwest Georgia, the daughter of a lifelong Auburn Tigers fan. So, when I talk about the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, it is from a place of understanding — with a little bit of PTSD mixed in. Wearing orange and blue in a sea of red and black is not for the faint of heart.
I remember the feeling of sheer joy and excitement when I stepped onto the campus of the loveliest village on the plains as a student for the first time. I finally donned my Tiger Rags without fear of rejection or being called a “War Chicken.”
I have never been one to get into all of the “smack talk.” I tend to keep the comments to myself and just cheer for my colors. However, as the week before the big game rolls around every year, I brace myself for the (good-humored) messages from my Dawg-lovin’ Georgia friends. I usually respond with a hardy “LOL” emoji, or hit that “Haha” reaction. Then, depending on the outcome, I double-brace for the teasing I am sure to take if my Tigers end up on the bottom.
So, that is why this past meeting Between the Hedges was so sweet. Seeing my team in the win column meant I’d been spared from the obligatory “Awburn Cow College” comments post-game. What made this year different, though, was that my husband and I hadn’t actually made plans to watch the game. We were away with our grown children having so much fun that it didn’t even cross our minds until there were barely 2 minutes left on the clock.
One of my husband’s UGA fan-friends messaged something like, “The SEC is going crazy,” which prompted him to ask our son to check the score. The score was 24-24! We couldn’t believe it. We kept the app open until that final field goal went through, cheering with all the glee we could muster. Our Tigers had walked into Sanford Stadium as 19.5-point underdogs, but they were going home on top. I may have even screamed and performed a little “Bodda Getta” in the kitchen for my grandbabies. It was absolute bliss.
When we got home from the weekend, we found the replay on TV, and watched every last, glorious second of it. I told my husband that this might be my new favorite way to watch this game. Because — I must confess — watching Auburn vs. Georgia in real-time can often cause heart palpations and unrighteous indignation.
Somehow, knowing that we won the game from the beginning, took away all of the angst, and allowed me to watch with Peace and — admittedly — a little bit of smack talk.
I sent a text to my kids about the experience mentioning how much more fun it was to watch the game from this end-from-the-beginning perspective. Then, I remembered a conversation my daughter and I had years ago about the nature of God’s sovereignty. In Scripture, God reminds us that He isn’t reacting to history in real-time like a stressed spectator; He sits outside of time, already declaring the end from the very start. When we realize the final victory is already secured through Him, the Fourth-Quarter uncertainties of life lose their power to shake us, leaving us with deep resting confidence.
I love the way The Message paraphrases Isaiah 46 verses 8 through 11. It says,
“I am God, the only God you’ve had or ever will have — incomparable, irreplaceable. From the very beginning telling you what the ending will be, all along letting you in on what is going to happen, assuring you, ‘I’m in this for the long haul, I’ll do exactly what I set out to do.’”
That powerful Truth — that God already knows and declares the outcome — hit me in the most unexpected place: on my couch, catching up on a recorded college football game. Turns out, watching the Auburn game on delay wasn’t just a better way to enjoy college football — it was a gentle, needed reminder of how God invites us to live every single day.
When the final victory is already assured, the tension melts away, leaving only room for joy. We don’t need to fear the clock running down or the plays going sideways when the Author of time has already declared the winner — and it is Himself, and all of us who are in Christ Jesus.
I still love a good game, and I’m sure I’ll still catch myself holding my breath on a crucial third down now and then. But holding onto that end-from-the-beginning perspective changes everything. Life is full of unexpected turns, bad calls and fumbles, but as believers, we aren’t waiting in suspense to see if God seals the victory. The final score is in, the win is secure, and we can go ahead and enjoy the game.
On to vict’ry, Friends! Strike up the Heavenly band!
