Tip of My Iceberg

Some knew what they were doing; some did not.

They came together as a group of eight-year-olds, both boys and girls, to learn to play together. A few had older siblings who’d played soccer for years and knew basic strategies. Others had never touched a soccer ball, and they were there, partly because their parents wanted them to be, and partly to play with friends.

Soccer is a team sport where everyone on the field has a chance to contribute to the game. At this young age, those who have a little experience can make a huge difference in the game. Some have a greater capability, playing with more panache than their less skilled teammates.

Nobody cares,

Watching Cal and Mason play together, cousins and buddies, they had a good idea of what to do and how to do it. They trusted each other more than the rest of the team, so they often tried passing to one another. No one commented on how well anyone had played.

They were having fun.

They played a more experienced team that actually won. Most of the boys didn’t know what the score was.

They got cupcakes and Gatorade afterward.

This was the end of their season, and each got a medal for their participation. Mason had scored three goals, and Cal had been the only one of the goalkeepers to save shots. They were content with what they’d done. The end score wasn’t that significant.

There are so many times in life where we lose sight of the bigger, better picture because our circumstances in the moment are uncomfortable, not something we appreciate. Winning at whatever cost is too often what drives us to press forward, try harder, or ignore our own discomfort.

The apostle Paul was a man who’d experienced a lot of the challenges of life. Shipwrecked, flogged, thrown over a cliff, and imprisoned many times, his focus was on what God had called him to do. In 62 AD, he was imprisoned in Rome, awaiting trial. He was a Roman citizen, so when the Jews in Jerusalem accused him of being an agitator, he appealed his case to the Roman emperor, Caesar. He was on house arrest for two years, being watched over daily by the emperor’s Praetorian guard, an elite military unit that acted as the emperor’s bodyguards.

Restricted by his captors, Paul wrote a letter to the people he’d ministered to in Philippi, encouraging them to not become discouraged by the persecution that many heaped on the followers of Jesus. Paul saw his circumstances as a chance to talk about Jesus, even to his guards. He wrote to his friends that he was able to see the good in his challenging circumstances,

“Actually, I don’t have a sense of needing anything personally. I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” Philippians 4:11-13.

I wouldn’t want to go through what Paul did. I understand how he was able to refocus his priorities, understanding that Jesus was with him, providing for him even in prison. With Jesus, we can make every circumstance a win, no matter how difficult it is.

Cal and Mason felt great about how they’d contributed to their team effort. They were pleased with their performance.

How can you refocus your life with a sense of hope in how Jesus is present with you?

Even if you don’t win?