The Game of Life

There once was a little girl and all she ever wanted was to be/have______.  You fill in the blank.  There's a good chance you aren't/don't have it.  That's called expectations meeting reality.  And it's seldom a polite introduction.  So how can we find peace and be happy?  Now.  With less than___.

My husband is a sports nut, enthusiastic, fanatic.  He has even been known to have watched old reruns of games that he has particularly liked.  For heaven's sake, it's not like it's Pride and Prejudice.  But, I'm going to draw an analogy from his world.

Let's picture a coach and his team on the first day of practice.  He looks at them with eyes of potential.  He tells them they are winners, they are the best, they can do it, be it, have it.  And then they start practice.  

Missed balls, missed throws, missed baskets.  Does the coach say, "Well, I was wrong about you.  Go home.  I'm getting a new team"?  No.  A good coach knows his team needs practice. 

He asks them, requires them, to listen to him, follow his directions and to "show up".  I've learned from my husband that to "show up" is a mental attitude of being in the game.  A good coach also knows that his players need balance, rest, some fun in their lives, etc.  They cannot drive themselves 24/7.  

So back to our little girl.  Now she is grown up and sometimes overwhelmed and frustrated.  She and her life have not met her perfectly, reasonable (in her mind) expectations.  What to do?  Give up?  Not an option.  Be miserable?  Not very productive, - or pleasant for those around us.  Here's a simple thing to do that I have found puts order, perspective, and joy back into my life.  I ask the "coach", the Lord, "What is the one most important thing I need to do/change in my life?" I was scared the first time thinking that it would be something like, "give all your goods away to the poor."  The answer surprised me.  It was simple.  But, I knew that it was the most important thing, right then in my life to change.  Here are some possiblities:  clean the kitchen at night, kiss your husband good-bye, make a week's menu, say your prayers, sit on the floor with your kids, get dressed before 10am, hug your kids before and after school...  Little things that make a big difference.  Then, do/change it! Be grateful you get a chance to play and, most importantly, ENJOY the game!