When he wouldn’t get up, I felt embarrassed and knew something had to happen. He’s our stronger willed child, and I wasn’t sure the coach had the proverbial chips to convince him to stand up and get off the field. Here’s an actual picture of the incident:
There’s Russell, sitting on the ground, refusing to get up and play with his teammates. Granted, he was pretty young (4 years old), but we thought the opportunity to play on a team would be fun and provide much needed exercise. Well, it didn’t go like we hoped. He did win a participation award, but let’s just say nobody else thought he would be the next David Beckham.
Fast-forward to this year, he surprises us with a request to join a team. We were a little skeptical, remembering his early days of not running or participating or wanting to go on the field (pretty essential in soccer). I wanted to remind him of how his favorite part was the snacks at the end of the game, but he was serious.
So we signed him up for soccer and have taken him to every practice. And wouldn’t you know it, he was actually running around and participating. He was doing the drills and putting the work in. He even listens to his coach. L.I.S.T.E.N.S.
During his last game, Russell scored two goals! We couldn’t have been prouder (or shocked). And it reminded us of an important lesson.
Soccer was not better today than it was 4 years ago. The difference was not in the game. It wasn’t his coach (both are great). It wasn’t his teammates.
It was his attitude and participation.
It’s amazing how much your outlook and commitment to own your part will change not just your own experience, but the experiences of others around you as well.
As a member of our church, I am so glad I get to labor alongside all of you. God is doing some great work here. People are getting saved. Families are maturing. The Kingdom is growing.
And two key factors are your attitude and participation. Thank you for your love, thank you for praying, thank you for serving, and thank you for not giving up on Jesus’ call to each one of us.
Thank you for getting into the game.
See you guys on Sunday morning, where we will study a complicated but timely lesson from Jesus. (And if you see Russell, give him a high-five for participating!)
Grace and Peace,
Pastor Jack
