Go Zoomers!!

Tomorrow will be David's first soccer game. He is so excited for it! His team is green, green jersey, green on the shorts, green GREEN socks... David LOVES green! He said that God knew he liked green and so he made everyone else like it too. :) All us parents are little worried about the first game. The kids haven't had much practice time and don't really get the whole concept of soccer. But then again, what 5 year olds do? They just like getting out there and running after a ball, trying to beat out the other 10 kids running after the same ball. It's really cute to watch them. Coach Steve has to remind them not to take the ball from their own team quite often. It reminds me of ministry alot. I'm the first to admit that sometimes I've gotten myself involved in ministries to "shine". I knew that I would look good and that others would notice me if I did it, and so with the wrong heart, I jumped in only to overwhelm myself and serve un-gratefully. I was stealing the ball from my own team. Someone else could have done that job better, and with the right heart. Someone else WANTED to do what I was doing, but out of selfishness/"ball-hogging", I didn't want to step down. It was when I finally realized that the battle was between myself and God that I took a step back and evaluated why I did what I did. I learned quite a bit from God during what I call my "awakening". God lovingly guided me and held my hand the whole time I kicked and screamed and said but I WANT to shine, I WANT people to pat me on the back. That's when God asked me the question, why is their approval more important than Me?? It's not. It never will be. I don't want to steal the ball from my own teamates. If we all do what God made us to do, we'd never get confused or kick the ball into the other teams goal again. We'd never chase each other down, tripping each other, or pushing the other out of the way so that we could have our 15 minutes. It doesn't matter who kicks the winning goal, if the team works towards God's purpose, every goal will be sunk and he will be glorified. Isn't that the main purpose? I want to live my life to glorify God. I want to please Him.

Lord you constantly amaze me. Thank you for this lesson taught through watching my sweet sweet boy play soccer. And thank you for helping me realize that cutting out my teamates undermines your gameplan. I love you Lord, and I am ever learning. I want to live a life pleasing to you. I want to live a life of service to you. Thank you Lord for loving me.