This week I went to a soccer game with my grandsons. As a grandparent I am understandably proud of the remarkable ability of each of them. They are each on different teams and they have a good attitude about it all even when they occasionally play each other. That was what made this game particularly fun. One of them played goalie for one team. The other played a field position for the other team. The parents kept score while the kids just played.
As a spectator there is more to watch than the game. There are players on and off the field. Children are made to play. They play all out with each other or against each other. If there is no game to play they will invent one.
Adults want to play but many of us have forgotten how. For some it is enough to experience the game through our children. For others it is all about the competition. The realities of life have taken all the fun out of the game and instead it becomes a battle.
The two groups of adults are easy to spot. One group sits and enjoys the game while other children play around them. The other group stands or walks the sidelines. This group always keeps score and you always know who to ask if you want to know where we stand.
Everyone at the game is committed. Some are committed to cheer the play while others are committed to score points. I see the same two groups in other areas of life whether it is at work, play, or church. Some are committed to enjoy the moment and the blessings God gives with every new experience. Others are committed to making points, impress, and get ahead.
Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also,” Matthew 5:21. I think about what he said as I watch the game. For me, it is not the points. I see two boys on opposing teams and I want them both to enjoy the game. They are my treasure and I want the best of blessings for them.
Our treasure should be people, not points. Points are a part of this world “…where moths and rust destroy,” (19). Love is forever.
Robin
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Hidden Danger
We drove down a road in southern Missouri on our way to a place we had planned to spend the night. We were four college friends on a camping trip. The weather had been rainy for several days. As we came to a bridge we saw that cars had stopped on either side of the swollen river. The water was going over the bridge, an a few yards of the road leading to it, but it did not seem to be very deep. We debated with each other about crossing the bridge under these conditions. Some thought that the raging river underneath the bridge made it too risky while others thought that the shallowness of the water over the bridge made it safe. We decided that since no one else was crossing the bridge that we would turn around and find another way.
The next day we picked up a paper and saw on the front page a picture of the very bridge we had seen the day before. The caption under the picture described how the force of the water had moved the bridge and repositioned it a few yards downstream. While it looked like everything was normal the road leading to the bridge now led to the river. Disaster and death was hidden by a few inches of water that kept the casual observer from seeing the truth.
What was it that kept us from attempting to cross the river that day? If we had stopped to ask we would have been told that the bridge had moved. But we did not stop to ask. If we had gotten out of the car and looked closer we would have seen what the shallow water was hiding. But we did not stop to look closely at the danger.
We discussed it among ourselves and compared our experience and our observations. It looked safe to the risk takers but dangerous to the cautious. The deciding factor was the simple observation. No one else was crossing the bridge while many were looking at it.
We may not always see the hidden dangers that are in front of us. They can be hidden by something small, as small as a thin rush of water. A crowd of people may be nearby and the casual observer may think that their presence also means approval. A closer look at the crowd may reveal that they are looking at the danger but doing nothing to keep people away from it. The crowd can hide the danger and we can get a false sense of security when we rely on the presence of others to protect us from danger.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) We may not always see the danger but we can always trust in God. In Christ is real security. He gives us the vision to see the dangers we can avoid, strength to overcome the dangers we cannot avoid, and wisdom to face the dangers from which we need to learn. He promised to always be with us, in rain or shine.
Robin
The next day we picked up a paper and saw on the front page a picture of the very bridge we had seen the day before. The caption under the picture described how the force of the water had moved the bridge and repositioned it a few yards downstream. While it looked like everything was normal the road leading to the bridge now led to the river. Disaster and death was hidden by a few inches of water that kept the casual observer from seeing the truth.
What was it that kept us from attempting to cross the river that day? If we had stopped to ask we would have been told that the bridge had moved. But we did not stop to ask. If we had gotten out of the car and looked closer we would have seen what the shallow water was hiding. But we did not stop to look closely at the danger.
We discussed it among ourselves and compared our experience and our observations. It looked safe to the risk takers but dangerous to the cautious. The deciding factor was the simple observation. No one else was crossing the bridge while many were looking at it.
We may not always see the hidden dangers that are in front of us. They can be hidden by something small, as small as a thin rush of water. A crowd of people may be nearby and the casual observer may think that their presence also means approval. A closer look at the crowd may reveal that they are looking at the danger but doing nothing to keep people away from it. The crowd can hide the danger and we can get a false sense of security when we rely on the presence of others to protect us from danger.
Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) We may not always see the danger but we can always trust in God. In Christ is real security. He gives us the vision to see the dangers we can avoid, strength to overcome the dangers we cannot avoid, and wisdom to face the dangers from which we need to learn. He promised to always be with us, in rain or shine.
Robin
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)