March 8, 2010 - Though, Though, Though, Yet

I remember my junior year of high school vividly. In October I had my first knee surgery. It was only a month before the start of basketball season. As I went to my first therapy session I had one thing in mind, get ready for the season! That first session stands out in my mind because of a great object lesson I observed. An older man was on the exercise bike trying to break through some of his inflammation. After every rotation he would stop due to the pain. I realized that stopping was not the right approach.

As I sat down on the bike (therapy has come a long way since then) I was resolved to not stopping once I got going. The therapist sat down in front of me, grabbed my feet, and said, “Here we go.” I immediately dug in and rode like I was in the Tour de France.

Why was I able and willing to go through that pain when the older guy wasn’t? I had something to train for. I had a goal in mind that I wasn’t willing to waver from. In early November our team played a Varsity/Faculty game to tip off the season. I not only suited up, I played!

A couple years later I would be back under the knife for a knee surgery (other knee.) I remember being in the recovery room from that surgery. As I awoke the doctor was in there and I asked him how it was? He responded by telling me that I probably would not be playing any more basketball; I had a tear in my anterior cruciate ligament. I responded to him that he should have amputated my leg if he didn’t want me to play; to which he replied, “Ok, I’ll see you again. (Which he did – twice)” Yet to this day I still love to play.

Though there has been pain; though there has been frustration; though things didn’t go exactly like I planned; yet I still played on. I still rejoiced in playing the game.

That is a great principle for us to live by: the “Though, though, though – yet!” principle. And it is Biblical.

The Bible let’s us know that life has a lot of “though” moments – times of pain or discomfort – times that do not go as we planned. Yet it also tells us to still rejoice in God in the midst. I love the resolution in the book of Habakkuk. It is where I discovered the “TTT-Y” principle.

Habakkuk 3: 17 Though the fig tree may not blossom, Nor fruit be on the vines; Though the labor of the olive may fail, And the fields yield no food; Though the flock may be cut off from the fold, And there be no herd in the stalls— 18 Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. 19 The LORD God is my strength; He will make my feet like deer’s feet, And He will make me walk on my high hills.