Tip of My Iceberg

Our family has a bit of history with soccer.

When I was growing up in the Chicago area, soccer wasn’t an option as a sport. It was more of a football/baseball area. We moved to California and discovered the “beautiful game”. Our oldest daughter fell first to the sparkle of the game, and the other five soon followed.

Now our grands are playing, and I love watching them engage in a team sport that requires cooperation. They all have played different positions, each requiring a different skill set.

Soccer is never an individual sport; it requires team work.

Our grandson Teagan is a goalkeeper, and, being a tad biased, he’s really good. His height and arm span are great assets to his ability, but he works hard at improving his game.

He is, after all, the last line of defense.

Team sports teach individuals how to play together, how to collaborate with one another for the best possible results–a win. The best striker in the world can’t win a game by himself if his goalkeeper can’t stop the balls just like a goalkeeper stopping all the shots can’t guarantee a win if someone isn’t shooting on goal.

What’s Patrick Mahomes without Travis Kelce? Famous sports pairs, like Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski are constant reminders of how trusted people make us better, no matter what we do. Go way back in sports annals and note the dynamic duo of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. The best names in sports have all needed their best teammates to create successive wins.

We all need people we trust and feel safe with to come alongside and help us become better people. Nobody can accomplish their best lives alone, no matter how independent we believe we are.

The Bible speaks often about the need to work together for the best possible results for all involved.

“Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble.” Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Circumstances will occur where we need to have someone close by who will help us, a friend or associate we can count on to bring a different skill set than we have to help us solve a problem. It’s one of the many reasons to value our differences.

Jesus is seen as the head of a body which is comprised of all who believe in Him. He holds us together in love and grace, and each person has a distinct gifting to allow all to work together to make everyone better.

“He (Jesus) makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.” Ephesians 4:16

Like Teagan’s soccer team, everyone has a role to play, talents that allow each of us to have a significant impact on our world with how we show up. You can’t win with limited skills or people missing from the field.

We need each other to accomplish greater things than we can imagine.

Who are those on your team you can count on in a challenge?