Last night I had one of my proudest "mom" moments. My son, Mark, is a varsity soccer player for his high school. He is wonderfully athletic, highly capable, and very competitive. I know very little about soccer and am in desperate need of one of those Soccer for Dummies books. But even I love watching Mark play. It's really fun when the other parents tease me that Mark must have gotten his great skills from me...for those of you who don't know, my son is adopted from Africa. So, I guess it's okay for me to brag a little and simply say He rocks!
Well, last night they had a game against a big rival. The game was intense from the minute the clock started. Players on each side played with a hunger to win. Mark made a beautiful assist early on and our team was up 1-0. Then the other team fought back to run the score in their favor 2-1. Then we scored, they scored, and we scored again tying the game.
Though competition was fierce, Mark played fair and kept his head. So, when the ref unfairly gave him a yellow card, the stands went wild. The students booed the ref. Parents yelled out for the ref to open his eyes. It took me a minute of questioning the mom beside me before I realized why Mark was being benched. I wanted to scream, "Not Fair!"
That is until I saw my smiling son, humbly take the ref's penalty. Then with a smile on his face, he calmly ran off the field as instructed and took his place on the bench. Seconds later he was clapping and yelling encouragement to his teammates continuing the battle.
I am still challenged by Mark's reaction. I know he wanted to be out on that field when he got benched for the yellow card, but he made the choice that no matter what he would help and not hinder his team. He didn't yell and stomp and get all in a huff. He didn't get distracted by the unfair call at all. He just kept his focus on the game. If he played, he played. If he was benched, he cheered for those on the field.
I think I can learn a lot from my son.
Life has a way of throwing "Not Fair" things at us often. We have to make the decision to think about the bigger picture of things rather than getting consumed with the unfair event. I guess, for me, it comes down to trust. Do I really trust God with everything that happens? Both the things I perceive as good and those I perceive as not so good?
Maybe Mark being benched with a yellow card last night wasn't so much about an unfair call by the ref but more about God protecting him. You see, two players were carried off the field last night by ambulance. One with a severely broken arm and one with a neck injury. Mark got a yellow card but came home without a scratch.
God, please help me see all things with your eyes. And when I'm tempted to yell, Not Fair, please give me the sweet perspective that even when circumstances aren't fair, You always are!
Psalm 16: 7-8, "I will praise the Lord, who counsels me, even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
Are you facing an unfair event right now? How might this help you put things into a different perspective? Feel free to post a comment about your shift in thinking.
Well, last night they had a game against a big rival. The game was intense from the minute the clock started. Players on each side played with a hunger to win. Mark made a beautiful assist early on and our team was up 1-0. Then the other team fought back to run the score in their favor 2-1. Then we scored, they scored, and we scored again tying the game.
Though competition was fierce, Mark played fair and kept his head. So, when the ref unfairly gave him a yellow card, the stands went wild. The students booed the ref. Parents yelled out for the ref to open his eyes. It took me a minute of questioning the mom beside me before I realized why Mark was being benched. I wanted to scream, "Not Fair!"
That is until I saw my smiling son, humbly take the ref's penalty. Then with a smile on his face, he calmly ran off the field as instructed and took his place on the bench. Seconds later he was clapping and yelling encouragement to his teammates continuing the battle.
I am still challenged by Mark's reaction. I know he wanted to be out on that field when he got benched for the yellow card, but he made the choice that no matter what he would help and not hinder his team. He didn't yell and stomp and get all in a huff. He didn't get distracted by the unfair call at all. He just kept his focus on the game. If he played, he played. If he was benched, he cheered for those on the field.
I think I can learn a lot from my son.
Life has a way of throwing "Not Fair" things at us often. We have to make the decision to think about the bigger picture of things rather than getting consumed with the unfair event. I guess, for me, it comes down to trust. Do I really trust God with everything that happens? Both the things I perceive as good and those I perceive as not so good?
Maybe Mark being benched with a yellow card last night wasn't so much about an unfair call by the ref but more about God protecting him. You see, two players were carried off the field last night by ambulance. One with a severely broken arm and one with a neck injury. Mark got a yellow card but came home without a scratch.
God, please help me see all things with your eyes. And when I'm tempted to yell, Not Fair, please give me the sweet perspective that even when circumstances aren't fair, You always are!
Psalm 16: 7-8, "I will praise the Lord, who counsels me, even at night my heart instructs me. I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken."
Are you facing an unfair event right now? How might this help you put things into a different perspective? Feel free to post a comment about your shift in thinking.
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