Q
QuietCaptiveFreed
Guest
I just love that song. Playing ball through school and into college we had "warm up tapes". I imagine they do all that on ipods now but each year one of the captains was expected to compile a list of songs (hmmm...guess that would now be called a "play list". Its late people. Work with me) that were supposed to psych us up for the game. Rocky's "eye of the tiger", Salt N Pepper's "Push It" and yes, Hammer's "2 Legit 2 Quit" blared from a Sony boom box. Of course the boom box wasn't nearly loud enough since the acoustics in a gymnasium were wired more for buzzers. SO we laid that corded microphone right in front of one of the speakers and plugged it in to the sound system which consisted of a few blow horns strategically placed in the rafters. But it worked. Something about the music, your teammates, the crowd, it just all mixed together into this perfect combination of motivation and determination. Hmmm...good days
Of course many years have gone by since this gal has sported a uniform and took the floor but life has taught me that working for the win didn't end when the gym lights dimmed and the floor paint peeled. The games I played as a kid seemed so serious and they were. We wanted to win. But in the end a pile of stinky shorts goes into a laundry basket on wheels, and we go on with our lives. One of my coaches used to tell us to "leave everything on the court". Well, we did. And at the end of the season (back then anyway) you turned in your jersey and had a few months off to reflect, discern if you loved the game enough to invest another year, and decide to be on the team next year....or not.
I had no idea how much my experience as an athlete would teach me about faith. Over the years I have seasons where spiritually I was kicking butt and taking names. A lot of you know what I mean. You're "in the zone" and it seems everything you touches turns to spiritual gold. Every activity you plan, performance you organize, and friend you counsel seems to bear golden spiritual fruit. And if you are married to a minister this is an AMAZING season. It seems that all of your critics are silenced by God working all his awesomeness through you
And then, sadly, I have experienced such seasons of pride and consequential failure that God benched me to take time to know Him again because I had forgotten my "first love". At times I wondered if God would get so fed up he'd just kick me out of the game and send me home. But He never does. Then there are the times we have to bench ourselves because we are just whooped. A spouse cheats on us, our 13 year old daughter comes home pregnant, our mom gets cancer. Injuries that keep us from being in action for a while. And God compassionately allows us to come out and rest for a while. But it is always with the understanding that regardless of why we needed the rest, its purpose is to restore and refuel...so we can get back to the battle.
(Psalm 103:2-6)
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
These verses could be become the perfect "playlist" to bring about the motivation and determination we need to get us back in the fight. He forgives our sins when we fall so guilt can't keep us down. He redeems our past so regret can't paralyze us. He lifts us from the pit so darkness can't enslave us. He fuels us with love and understanding of what we've been through so lonliness can't overwhelm us. He fills the voids in our hearts with good things so that we feel young and hopeful again. And he works justice for our oppression so we are not frozen in bitterness. I love that God understands and provides for our need to rest. But even more, I love that his purpose for my rest isn't just his love for me but his belief in me. Belief that no matter what, He's getting ready to put me back in the game. Now.....where did I put that jersey....
Father we love you so much. We owe you so much and yet we understand so little. If we were being honest we would ask why any of us have had to go through so much devastating heartache in this life. Help us to hear your voice and take the rest you offer when we need it. But please give me strength to act with courage when you look down the bench at me and say, "Ok, grace. you're in". I trust you. I love you. Thank you for not giving up on me. Amen.
Of course many years have gone by since this gal has sported a uniform and took the floor but life has taught me that working for the win didn't end when the gym lights dimmed and the floor paint peeled. The games I played as a kid seemed so serious and they were. We wanted to win. But in the end a pile of stinky shorts goes into a laundry basket on wheels, and we go on with our lives. One of my coaches used to tell us to "leave everything on the court". Well, we did. And at the end of the season (back then anyway) you turned in your jersey and had a few months off to reflect, discern if you loved the game enough to invest another year, and decide to be on the team next year....or not.
I had no idea how much my experience as an athlete would teach me about faith. Over the years I have seasons where spiritually I was kicking butt and taking names. A lot of you know what I mean. You're "in the zone" and it seems everything you touches turns to spiritual gold. Every activity you plan, performance you organize, and friend you counsel seems to bear golden spiritual fruit. And if you are married to a minister this is an AMAZING season. It seems that all of your critics are silenced by God working all his awesomeness through you
And then, sadly, I have experienced such seasons of pride and consequential failure that God benched me to take time to know Him again because I had forgotten my "first love". At times I wondered if God would get so fed up he'd just kick me out of the game and send me home. But He never does. Then there are the times we have to bench ourselves because we are just whooped. A spouse cheats on us, our 13 year old daughter comes home pregnant, our mom gets cancer. Injuries that keep us from being in action for a while. And God compassionately allows us to come out and rest for a while. But it is always with the understanding that regardless of why we needed the rest, its purpose is to restore and refuel...so we can get back to the battle.
(Psalm 103:2-6)
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits--who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
These verses could be become the perfect "playlist" to bring about the motivation and determination we need to get us back in the fight. He forgives our sins when we fall so guilt can't keep us down. He redeems our past so regret can't paralyze us. He lifts us from the pit so darkness can't enslave us. He fuels us with love and understanding of what we've been through so lonliness can't overwhelm us. He fills the voids in our hearts with good things so that we feel young and hopeful again. And he works justice for our oppression so we are not frozen in bitterness. I love that God understands and provides for our need to rest. But even more, I love that his purpose for my rest isn't just his love for me but his belief in me. Belief that no matter what, He's getting ready to put me back in the game. Now.....where did I put that jersey....
Father we love you so much. We owe you so much and yet we understand so little. If we were being honest we would ask why any of us have had to go through so much devastating heartache in this life. Help us to hear your voice and take the rest you offer when we need it. But please give me strength to act with courage when you look down the bench at me and say, "Ok, grace. you're in". I trust you. I love you. Thank you for not giving up on me. Amen.