I sat on the sidelines yesterday watching as he listened intently to the coach and went through the drills over and over. I could hear the coach from where I was sitting and honestly, it was quite confusing to me. At one point the coach was explaining a 32 trap play, (at least I think that's what it was called) positioning kids and explaining how they were to move. I was lost. I thought for sure there was no way my son was picking up on this, I mean, there was a lot of information to assimilate in just a few short minutes. It was Trevor's turn to run the play, I watched with tense muscles, afraid he might not get it, but to my surprise he ran the play like a pro. As confused as I was sitting on the side lines he was on the field and he knew exactly what to do.
I think it's like that in our Christian walk. We've all been there, we see someone who witnesses like it's easy as pie, or someone who gives without blinking and we think, man, I wish I could do that. Those people are on the playing field and they are running the play. Those of us who are constantly trying to wrap our brains around how to witness or give or serve, we're the ones on the sidelines, and chances are, unless we stand up and brush off our fear and doubt, we will always be on the sidelines trying to understand the play.
Trevor didn't know a thing about football 30 minutes earlier, and yet there he was, running the play as if he'd been doing this for months. And the truth is, he was scared. Just 30 minutes earlier, when they called all the 3rd and 4th graders to the coach, Trevor turned with his eyes brimming with tears and buried his face in his father's side. "I don't want to, I'm scared." He cried to his dad. My heart broke for him, I can imagine the fear of stepping out onto that field, not knowing what's going to happen, he had every right to be afraid. But my husband encouraged him and sent him on his way. As his parents, we knew he would be fine, and we were pretty sure he would actually enjoy the very thing that he was presently afraid of.
Does that sound familiar to you? You feel prompted to witness to the cashier at the grocery store, or to give an extra $100 in the offering plate and as much as you want to, you're gripped by fear. Our Father gently encourages us, but then the choice is up to us, run on to the field or dig our heels into the sideline and refuse to move. And God knows that if we take that chance, if we run on to the field, we will love making the play, we will feel connected to the family of God, we will find the confidence to keep going and we will be a valuable member of God's winning team. However, if we choose to stay on the sidelines we will be missing out on all those things. The choice is ours, God will never force us to get off the bench.
I'm so proud of Trevor for pushing through his fear, he's an inspiration. It's time for me to push through my fears and to get off the bench and be a team player for the kingdom. I may not understand how everything works from where I sit right now, but I believe that as I step out on that field it'll all come together and I will be running the play like a pro, or at least an amateur with potential.
"Don't fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!" James 1:22 (Message)
No comments:
Post a Comment