Judith Brown lived her entire life in the city of Dover, Delaware. For all of my friends out there who fell asleep during geography, Delaware is on the East Coast. A schoolteacher during her younger years, as Mrs. Brown grew older and her husband passed away, she chose to live in a nursing home, where people would help take care of her.

Now this particular nursing home wasn’t all that fancy. It certainly was nothing compared to the comfy cottage she and her husband built with their own hands and then lived in for close to 60 years. Nevertheless, she knew it was the right decision. Her health was diminishing, and she longed for opportunities to be with other people. What this nursing home lacked with regard to luxuries, it made up for in activities. The activities director made sure that there were fun things for all the elderly residents to do on a daily basis. They would do crafts together, sing karaoke together, cook, exercise, and even take part in book clubs together. Yet, there was one activity that Judith enjoyed the most, and that was bingo!

When the staff would prepare her breakfast, she’d start every morning by asking if bingo was on the schedule for that day. If she forgot their answer to that question later on, she’d proceed to ask again,“Hey…by any chance are we going to be playing bingo today?” She was so obsessed with this game, that Judith had her children buy her an iPad just to put bingo on it. They even asked her, “Do you want any other apps or games on here?” To which she would tell them, “No that’s okay, just bingo!”

Now from the stated obsession with this game, you might assume Mrs. Brown had experienced quite a bit of success and that success caused her to want to play all the time. Quite the opposite was true. Judith, after living at the nursing home for almost a year, playing bingo with her friends at least once a week in the dining hall, had never won a game.

Imagine playing Monopoly or another board game for years, and to this day you’ve never won a game. Some of ya’ll are reading this saying to yourself, “That is my testimony, and look at me, I am still living for the Lord!” Bless you, perseverant child of God.

In all seriousness, the staff and residents at the nursing home were so dumbfounded by her lack of winning. Nearly 12 months had passed by and amongst the group of 15-20 that played, she was the only resident who had never won a game. To make matters even worse, they had a scoreboard to show how many times residents had won various games. Each instance where Judith walked slowly into the dining hall for bingo, and looked up at the scoreboard, she would laugh and say to one of the staff members, “Well I guess I shouldn’t quit my day job to play bingo…I’m just no good at this game.” To which that staff member would have their prepared response ready saying, “This is your day job.”

They would then both laugh on command and get ready for the first game of the day.

On one particular day, she went through the routine, starting by asking in the morning if they were playing bingo. Asked again a few hours later when bingo would be happening. Then when the time came to play, she walked into the dining hall to make the comment about not quitting her day job. That comment would be followed by a bit of laughter and then she sat down to play the first game. Judith was notorious for talking to her friends at the table before games would start. Like a 14-year-old girl talking to her friends about her new crush right before a final exam, they’d have to tell her to be quiet when everybody was ready to start the game. We all know that person who won’t stop talking to you when you’re trying to get in the zone. Perhaps that is why she kept losing, she was just too distracted.

She would say “I love the look of this board.” Or she’d remark, “Oh these are my lucky markers…I’m going to get a bingo today.” Even so, all of that positive thinking never did anything to help her win, as she lost game after game after game. So, on this day she sat down, turned to her friends, and said, “It feels like a great day to win a game of BINGO.”

“Yeah, sure, sure…” they replied. At this point, it was comical to them as they just assumed fate was never going to be on her side. Time ticked by and now it was time to play. The residents prepared for the staff member to call off the first letter-number combination.

Finally, they were off, as the staff member raised their voice loud enough for all the residents with hearing aids to hear them and they said,

“G-54.” Breaking through the silence, as the room had become quiet, was a loud booming voice from the back shouting, “Bingo! Bingo! Bingo!” All at once every head turned in this person’s direction. It was Judith! She shouted Bingo! There’s just one problem though. Only one letter-number combination had been called. There was no way she could have a bingo. No need to check her board. Everybody assumed Mrs. Brown had finally lost it. Losing at bingo had caused her to lose her mind. The staff member started laughing at her saying “Mrs. Brown…there’s no way you have a bingo!” Her best friend sitting next to her leaned over and said “Judith did you forget to take your medicine?!”One male resident spoke up loudly to add to the humor of the moment,

“Judith it’s not possible to have a bingo now and based on your track record it may not be possible for you to ever have one.” All the residents chuckled in response to that joke. Judith herself smiled and giggled some. Then she spoke up and said, “I don’t have a bingo now, you’re right, but here in a moment I will!” “Sure, sure, let’s continue.” said the staff member.

So the game continued and minutes went by until out of nowhere piercing through the silence once more was another shout of someone saying, “Bingo! Ahhhh! Bingo! I did it! Bingo!” It was Judith! She got up and danced a little using her walker. Then she’d shout a few more times, “Bingo, bingo, bingo!” With everybody’s jaws on the ground, she continued by saying, “I told you it was going to happen!” Sure enough, Judith had a bingo. Not only did she have a bingo, but it happened during the very game she blurted out “bingo” after only hearing the first letter-number combination!

​When life’s circumstances don’t make sense and uncertainty is all that prevails. When all you’ve experienced as of late is disappointment and those around you don’t believe you have a chance at winning. When you’ve been praying for the Holy Ghost and you’ve yet to be filled. When you have been waiting for a breakthrough but all you feel is brokenness. When you’re tired of the same old same old, and you’re ready to feel refreshed. Shout bingo! By that I mean, shout praise unto the Lord in advance of the victory!

​God honors faith, no matter how it is expressed. When you praise God in faith, even though you’ve had a tough past and the future looks bleak, He will draw near to you. For we know He inhabits the praises of His people and if faith is what pleases Him, He will draw near because we all desire to be close to what pleases us. When you praise God in faith, you’re telling Him that your praise is not determined by your past, present, or future situations.

​In John 16:33 (KJV), Jesus spoke this very message to His disciples when he said, “These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” The Lord was telling his closest followers the same message we are to hear today. Victory is on its way. There have been hardships, there will be hardships, but victory is coming! So be of good cheer. Rejoice now! As the old song says, “Don’t wait until the battle is over, don’t wait until the victory is won. Just remember whatever God promised, it’s yours and it’s already done. Don’t wait, don’t wait, shout now!”

Andrew is the proud husband to Chelsea and father to Carson, Callahan, and Clayton. He currently serves as the senior pastor at River of Life in Henry, Illinois. He also serves as the Illinois District Youth Secretary. Before becoming a senior pastor, Andrew served as a youth pastor for 10 years. In total, he has over 15 years of experience in youth ministry. His educational background includes a B.A. in Psychology from Oakland University, an M.Ed. in School Counseling from Liberty University, and a MACM from Urshan Graduate School of Theology (currently in progress).