When Nobody Believed in Queens

On October 16, 1969, fifty-seven thousand fans packed Shea Stadium in Queens, New York, to witness something the sports world had declared impossible. The New York Mets — a franchise that had lost 120 games in its inaugural 1962 season and finished last or near last every year since — were one victory from a World Series championship. Oddsmakers had set them at 100-to-1 before the season. The Baltimore Orioles, their opponents, had steamrolled through the American League with 109 wins and a roster stacked with All-Stars.

But manager Gil Hodges had built something no stat sheet could measure. Down in the series after Game 1, the Mets rattled off four straight wins. Tommie Agee made two spectacular catches in Game 3. Ron Swoboda dove full-length to rob Brooks Robinson in Game 4. And when Clint Jones caught the final fly ball in Game 5, a 5-3 Mets victory, the crowd erupted onto the field in joyous disbelief. The Miracle Mets had done what everyone said could not be done.

The prophet Samuel almost made the same mistake as those oddsmakers. When God sent him to anoint a king from Jesse's sons, Samuel saw the tall, impressive Eliab and thought, "Surely this is the one." But the Lord corrected him: "The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7).

God has never been intimidated by long odds. He delights in choosing the overlooked, the underestimated, the ones nobody picks. Whatever impossible situation you face today, remember — the One who sees your heart is the same God who loves to turn 100-to-1 longshots into miracles.