100-to-1 at Shea Stadium

On October 16, 1969, fans at Shea Stadium in New York City rushed the field in delirious celebration. The New York Mets — a franchise that had lost 120 games in their inaugural 1962 season, the worst record in modern baseball history — had just defeated the Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series.

Vegas oddsmakers had placed the Mets at 100-to-1 before the season. The Orioles, who had won 109 games that year, were heavy favorites. But under the steady leadership of manager Gil Hodges, a collection of young, unheralded players did what no one thought possible. Pitcher Jerry Koosman shut down Baltimore's fearsome lineup. Outfielder Tommie Agee made two breathtaking catches in Game 3. And in just five games, the "Miracle Mets" stunned the baseball world.

No scouts had circled these names. No prognosticators had predicted this outcome. The baseball establishment had written them off as lovable losers for seven long years.

Paul wrote to the church at Corinth, "God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong" (1 Corinthians 1:27). The Almighty has never been impressed by the odds. He delights in using the overlooked, the underestimated, the ones nobody drafts first. When you feel like a 100-to-1 longshot — too small, too late, too unlikely — remember that God's greatest victories have always come through those the world counted out. Keep showing up. The final score is not yet posted.