Choosing Sides

Greetings,

This past weekend I went to a volleyball tournament to support my son-in-law who coaches the varsity girls' team at St. Brendan.  Typically, if the team is playing on the left side of the court, the spectators sit on the left side of the gym to support them and vice versa.  Sometimes, however, it gets really crowded and you may find yourself sitting on the opposite side. This brought back memories of when Rayray played in high school.

One year during a regional playoff game, Jorge and I unwittingly found ourselves seated in the middle of a bunch of ravenous fans for the opposing team.  It was okay at first, until Rayray came up to serve and they started wishing she would make a mistake.  From there it escalated.  "Miss it!" "Hit it out!"  I was so uncomfortable and praying that Jorge, Rachel's biggest fan on earth, would  keep his cool. After all, he has been known to vocally express his outrage when a referee makes a dumb call!  And yes, those were my Tai Bo years, but I wasn't sure how well I'd fare if a riot broke out. Oh how I wished I were sitting with those who were for my team.

If I would have been sitting on the other side of the gym, I would have no doubt heard encouraging words.  I would have seen a group united by a common desire to see Rayray and all the girls play well.  I would have been surrounded by others who were rallying for victory.

We all have to choose between two sides as well.  Are we going to be on God's side or not?  Are we going to believe what He says or not? Are we going to do what He says or not? Are we going to choose life or death?  Are we going to rally with other brothers and sisters in Christ and encourage each other or not?  Are we going to surround ourselves with others who want us to succeed or not? Are we going to keep the faith or not?

I CHOOSE GOD.

The alternative is unacceptable.  The Bible teaches that if we choose Him we will have a blessed, good, fulfilling  life here and in eternity. (Deuteronomy 30:19-20).

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We choose You today.  Even though there are times of discouragement, You strengthen our faith to keep believing.  It is always better to stick with You because a life of faith has a promised reward.  Even when it looks like our side is losing, we know that victory is ours! Help us keep the faith, and always help us to encourage everyone who is on our side. . In Jesus' name, AMEN. 

A Man of Understanding~

"People of understanding control their anger; a hot temper shows great foolishness" Proverbs 14:29.

Greetings!

This past week I went to the volleyball district playoff game for a local high school down the street, Saint Brendan.  The winner would go to regionals where a win would take them to the state championship game.  What made this best three-out-of-five showdown so compelling  was that the St. Brendan Sabres  - ranked fourth in the district - were playing the number one team.  During the regular season they had already faced this undefeated team and lost twice, so honestly, expectations were not that high that they would win.

Then something amazing happened.  After narrowly losing the first game, aces were served, kills were perfectly executed, and the Sabres won game two.  They lost game three but fast forward to game four and again the Sabres eked out a win 26-24.  Did I mention that my son-in-law, Emilio, is their coach, and that the Sabres' record has been steadily improving since he took over a couple of years ago?  Nonetheless, up to this point, when it became obvious that winning districts was no longer a lofty goal but an actual possibility - only one 15-point game away - I started to pay attention to Emilio.

The pressure was on, and it was palpable.  Miss Rayray, who was next to me in the stands, was grimacing so wildly that she made me nervous.  Between massaging her temples, and looking away, and pacing back and forth, and squatting up and down I thought she was, in fact, going to have a cow.  Every point was critical, so when the referees made some questionable calls, when some of the players missed their serves, I would have understood if Emilio would have gotten heated.  But no. He maintained his composure, encouraged his players, and smiled throughout.  I was impressed, especially since I have witnessed plenty of coaches behaving badly, and sometimes toward my own kids when they were growing up.  And let's not talk about how heated parents can get during these competitions.  They will yell obscenities, scream for the coaches to be fired, threaten the referees, and insult their own kids.  Just a couple of weeks ago in Cooper City, which is about 45 minutes away from where I live, two little league coaches made national news for actually getting into a physical fight in the middle of a game.  The shame!!!

When it was all said and done the Sabres lost game five, and it was a heartbreaker.  That didn't stop Emilio and his team from congratulating the winners, however.  And so the season ended with mixed emotions.  Yes, it had been the best record the Sabres had ever had, but they lost districts.  One thing that was perfectly clear, however, was that long after the game ended the fans, players, and parents, and at least one mother-in-law that I know of, were spectacularly proud of Emilio's example. He is a man who understands that no one wins when they let their emotions get the better of them.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You don't expect us not to get angry - just to control our anger so we won't do something we will regret later.  We never want to do something foolish, so help us every day to keep our emotions in check.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~