spiritual musings--muddy lives

Life is like a muddy Little League Game

8:02 AMHeather

A few weeks ago, I was sitting in the rain watching my nephew play little league football. It had been raining for days and days...I had already googled "how to build an ark." As I sat alone and quiet--both a rare occasion for me--I realized how much life is like that muddy game.

You may be the player who loves to jump into the game, pumped and excited, and ready to get all dirty. You don't care if your jersey is so filthy you can't see your number. You don't care if you have to tackle someone and squish yourself into inches of mud. You play with reckless abandon, unafraid to get dirty--because certainly in life, things do get muddy.

Or, maybe you are like the players who aren't quite sure what to do about the situation. Their caution is obvious from their bright white pants. They tiptoe through the mud, and play with such care, hoping to avoid the mud completely. Perhaps they stay on the sideline. Or perhaps, when they are called to get in the game, they simply stand back. They can never completely play the game of life--the fear of getting muddy holds them back.

Another category you might fall in would be the coaches who seem to lose sight of the fact that THIS IS A LITTLE LEAGUE GAME! I clenched my fists at these guys. Grown men, yelling fiercely at ten and eleven-year-old boys. I think they lost sight of the fact that this is supposed to be fun, AND this is not the superbowl. They stomped around in the mud, their passion for the game exceeding into an unhealthy and way-too-intense approach. They are taking things way too seriously. They didn't care how their tone or words wounded those around them--or how it reflected on them personally. They are so caught up in winning and success that they forget to have fun playing. And, they forget about building relationships in the process.

Last but not least are the coaches who enjoy the process. My nephew's coach was a perfect example of this category. Seasoned by decades of the game, he was able to take things in stride. When things didn't look good for his team, he never lost his cool. No yelling, no rudeness--just respect and understanding for his players. He certainly corrected their misplays, just quietly and without any anger. He was able to enjoy watching, encouraging, and participating in the game, with a proper perspective of both the wins and the losses. He had played the game himself, and was taking the opportunity to pass on his lessons learned.

And it all got me to thinking. My uniform is a bit too clean. I think it's time for me to dive in, full on. The mud is there, and life gets dirty and hard sometimes. But, there's always Living Water to wash me clean and refresh me. And, I think my Coach wants me to give it my all--to the very last play of the game, till the whistle blows.

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