Thursday, June 24, 2010

Play Like Your Life Depends On It!

Did anybody watch that first round at Wimbledon? Eleven hours of tennis! Not straight through of course, but still, that's pretty incredible. Those two guys accomplished something today. They made history.
They both played to win, and only one did, sadly, because there can only be one winner, but I think they should both be very proud of themselves. Kudos to the organizers for acknowledging them with special awards at the end.
I'm not really a sports person, nor am I particularly competitive, so I always envy these kind of people who can get out there and not give in until the last point and the game is called. But I do think we can relate this to life in general.
When's the last time you played as though your life depended on it?
I'm not sure I can answer that one. I mean, I have things I do every day, but nothing that I feel is going to make a difference in the long run. But, hang on.
I've spent the last 21 years raising two kids. Both are healthy, well-rounded, well-adjusted individuals with amazing gifts, and both want to make a contribution to society in a big way. That counts, right?
There have been moments over those last 21 years, where we as their parents, wished we could step into their shoes and do the hard stuff for them. But life doesn't work that way. We had to let them forge their own path, even when we couldn't see the other side of the mountain. Even now, when we're exploring options for my son and wondering where he's going to end up at school in 2011, I wish I had a magic wand that I could wave, that would ensure he gets into the program he wants. I don't.
I wish I had a crystal ball that I could look into that would promise me it's all going to be okay, they're both going to continue to achieve great things and lead happy lives. I don't.
I can't see the future, but I think most of us would agree that's probably a good thing. How boring would life be if we knew what was coming around the next corner? I'd probably never get out of bed.
So we press on, playing this game of life, doing our best and trying not to get discouraged when we keep getting knocked down. That's all there is to it, right?
Well, there is one more thing I can do.
Rather than play like my life depends on it, I can pray like my life depends on it.
Because it does.
I don't know the future, but God does.
I know He has great plans for us because He says so. I trust Him to work all things together for good.
When I get a little overwhelmed and stressed over the unknowns we face, I need to remember who is really in control.
And then I take a deep breath, relax, and move on to the next match.

1 comment:

kathy taylor said...

What a question: I love it! I don't think of things this way too often, but I think it must have been when a cranial nerve had gone awry. I prayed as though my life depended on it, and the Lord heard me.