pushing through daily practice, conditioning for the big game
Tonight I drove to Isaac's football practice earlier than necessay. Roger was doing a school duty, and Claire was at work, and Jeremiah was in charge of Precious and Josiah. I could have stayed home to help for another half hour but I just wanted to......go. I wanted time to pray for a friend who had asked for prayer today. I wanted to sit in my car with the windows down and feel the cool breeze at dusk and not do but just be.
As I watched practice, I saw a younger boy on the field who I have watched before. He must play in the youth league. He is heavy and slow and doesn't run well. Both tonight and the other time, I watched him struggle to finish the conditioning drill, fighting the urge to quit and give up. When I noticed him the first time, it was because I heard his coach say, "I'm not gonna let you quit!" and join him on the field to finish the drill.....and my heart ached as I saw another player from his team join them and redo the drill so that this kid didn't finish alone. Tonight, I watched him struggle to finish again. I wondered. Why is he still out here at the end of the season? Does he love football so much he will endure the torture of practice? Do his parents make him come against his own will? Does the coach really mean to make him a better player.....or human.....or both? Who is this kid who always struggles to finish and always finishes last......and always......finishes. ?
The stout football player is me lately. I'm struggling. I feel like I'm failing most of the time but I just won't quit. I don't even know why other than that in my own power I cannot do the drill. Only with the help of God can I complete each day He gives me. I have a good, good life. I have so much.....rich beyond measure in love and community.....but I struggle to run the drill every single day. I, too, have a coach and a team mate or two who will join me as I fight through practice. I, too, have some fuel behind me that keeps me coming back to practice every day.
These days are practice........the game is Heaven. I'm stickin with the stocky kid who doesn't run fast but doesn't quit. How about you?
As I watched practice, I saw a younger boy on the field who I have watched before. He must play in the youth league. He is heavy and slow and doesn't run well. Both tonight and the other time, I watched him struggle to finish the conditioning drill, fighting the urge to quit and give up. When I noticed him the first time, it was because I heard his coach say, "I'm not gonna let you quit!" and join him on the field to finish the drill.....and my heart ached as I saw another player from his team join them and redo the drill so that this kid didn't finish alone. Tonight, I watched him struggle to finish again. I wondered. Why is he still out here at the end of the season? Does he love football so much he will endure the torture of practice? Do his parents make him come against his own will? Does the coach really mean to make him a better player.....or human.....or both? Who is this kid who always struggles to finish and always finishes last......and always......finishes. ?
The stout football player is me lately. I'm struggling. I feel like I'm failing most of the time but I just won't quit. I don't even know why other than that in my own power I cannot do the drill. Only with the help of God can I complete each day He gives me. I have a good, good life. I have so much.....rich beyond measure in love and community.....but I struggle to run the drill every single day. I, too, have a coach and a team mate or two who will join me as I fight through practice. I, too, have some fuel behind me that keeps me coming back to practice every day.
These days are practice........the game is Heaven. I'm stickin with the stocky kid who doesn't run fast but doesn't quit. How about you?
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