Life Lessons

Life Lessons
Over the years, our kids have played competitive sports. Our oldest son played hockey and our youngest son still plays soccer. When you play sports, you know you are going to learn a lot about the sport, or at least that’s the hope anyway. There were seasons early in the boys’ sporting lives when the teams didn’t win all that much (I really don’t like to lose, by the way). It was really tough on them and me. Often in those times I would hear a parent say, “It’s not about winning, it’s about having fun”. My response is always, “Really? If this is fun, I have had enough fun, thanks”. One thing I have taken from these teams is the life lessons. See, I don’t think it’s about the fun, it’s about what we learn in those moments of success and, yes, even the failure.

As I reflect on those times, I can see the lessons. I learn a lot about conflict resolution as my oldest and I have a blow out in the car on the way home after a game where I felt he didn’t play hard enough. I have learned that it’s not good to confront a parent from another team who is yelling at one of our players (…it was ugly). I have learned not to yell at my youngest to run harder on the field, because he has a mind of his own and will let me have it in front of the other parents (it was an awkward moment – my lawn chair was not big enough for me to crawl under).

One big life lesson from sports is learning how I can see God in all those moments. I have seen how God is making himself known as sunflower seeds are shared, and I have seen him through early morning coffee conversations while waiting for practice to start. I have seen how God has pointed out areas of my life that I need Him to work on. I have had deep moments of reflection on growing up without a dad, not knowing what it would be like to have him watch me do a great move whenever my son looks at me for approval. Do you know how hard it is to hold back the tears while standing with other parents at a practice? Yep… awkward! There are way too many moments to list in this blog.

I wonder what it is in your life that God is trying to use as a life lesson. Maybe today you will step back and see that there is something bigger going on than just that moment. Maybe God is going to use it to show you something about yourself and more importantly, about Him.

For now!

Ron

Romans 8:28

Keeping short account

If you live in an area where chemicals are banned from being used on your lawn, you will be able to identify with this everyday life example…

I found myself, once again, with a garden tool in one hand while the other pulled weeds. See, where I live we are not permitted to spray chemicals on our lawns to take care of the weeds, so we have to pull them by hand (yup, one of the burdens we carry in a non-chemical zone). Early in the spring season, I was totally into this – I mean, each week I was Rambo to the weed world. My lawn looked incredible! I was taking responsibility of my piece of creation. As the summer went on, I slowly lost interest and let a few weeks go by without doing anything. Before I knew it, the weeds were making gains in taking over my lawn. What took me a few minutes in the early season is now taking way longer. The foothold is ugly!!

One day as I was pulling the blasted weeds, I got thinking about my life when I let things slip a little. Letting them slip by not paying attention to what I allow myself to think about, or even how I respond to situations and those around me. I was even thinking about how I can go for a few days and not make sure my walk with God is all good.

I had this teacher in Bible College named Ken Robins, who would often say, “Keep short accounts with God”. What he meant by that is, don’t allow a long time to go by without dealing with stuff that gets in the way of your relationship with God. Maybe better put: Don’t allow time to go by without dealing with the weeds in your life.

Is there something today that you have been letting slip? Something you have not dealt with in a while? A relationship with someone? Maybe your journey with God has become a little lax? Today, I hope you will deal with the weeds so you can move forward.

For now!

Ron