When your children or grandchildren play sports, you become an avid sports fan, believe me! We have four grandchildren playing sports - football, basketball, and soccer. Right now, it's soccer season, and with three playing, we will be kept busy.
Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing our only granddaughter, a ninth grader, play for her school on the Varsity Girls team. This is her second year to play for the school. Up until then, she played for the City League. Well, last night sure wasn't a pleasurable game, although it was a joy to watch her play! They lost the game in sudden death - the other team scored their 10th point at the beginning of the second half without our girls making a point. In fact, they could hardly get it over the center line! But, it wasn't because they didn't play hard, or put their all in it! They chased that other team, which surely outranked our girls in experience and expertise (they were definitely Varsity!), because our team . . .
When your children or grandchildren play sports, you become an avid sports fan, believe me! We have four grandchildren playing sports - football, basketball, and soccer. Right now, it's soccer season, and with three playing, we will be kept busy.
Last night, I had the pleasure of seeing our only granddaughter, a ninth grader, play for her school on the Varsity Girls team. This is her second year to play for the school. Up until then, she played for the City League. Well, last night sure wasn't a pleasurable game, although it was a joy to watch her play! They lost the game in sudden death - the other team scored their 10th point at the beginning of the second half without our girls making a point. In fact, they could hardly get it over the center line! But, it wasn't because they didn't play hard, or put their all in it! They chased that other team, which surely outranked our girls in experience and expertise (they were definitely Varsity!), because our team is complied from girls in ninth through twelfth grades. The other team had the advantage over our girls, since they were older than most, and we had several girls hurt or sick, and one in the hospital.
None of this put the damper on the game for the girls. This is the second time they've met these girls this year - being beat both times in sudden death. But, it didn't stop them from going after the ball, and working hard, trying to make at least one point. It never happened. But, what did I see when they began to walk off the field, after the coach had a talk with them? Smiling faces! Not a sour look on one of those girls? faces. They knew it wasn't in whether you won or lost, but how you played the game!
We, as Christians meet the same tests these girls did in their soccer games. It is how we react to these challenges that make us either stronger or weaker Christians. Do we just give up, when we are met with something that we can't do? Or, do we hang in there, and try again, until we are able to succeed? Satan will try to tell us that we aren't capable of meeting the challenge, that we will lose, so we might as well give us. But, don't listen to him; he's a liar! The Word says that he only comes to ?kill, steal, and destroy?, and he?ll try anything in order to get you to give up!
John 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.
Copyright 2005 by Barbara Sanders, Empire, AL. Used by permission.
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