“I love sport”, a simple phrase written upon a pot holder within the kitchen has me laughing every time I read it. I never thought I would say those words with honesty, or with a lack of correct grammar; yet, God opens our hearts to the unexpected. The reality is, not every change that has come during this year is extremely profound. Things like a fear of heights, a dislike of mushrooms, a limited vocal range, a lack of interest in competitive sports. Overall, they accumulate to one profound lesson. Saying ‘yes’.
Nothing on our ministry sheet warned of sport related activities. [Life lesson: never have expectations in ministry.] The first day of ministry meant our first lesson. Hours of practice for a sport we had never heard of: Floorball. Granted, it is very similar to field hockey, and as a child I always wished to be on my brother’s hockey team, but years of a lack of hand eye coordination, and a lack of an athletically competitive spirit, left me as a ‘last kid picked in gym class’ kind of girl.
Yet, here I am, in Ukraine, thirteen practices into this sport we call Floorball and I love it. We are blessed by a group of students who have found a balance to a competitive spirit and the joy of the game. Most of our practices involve mounds of laughter, a few balls to the face, and some sort of skill building. My legs, feet and back are often screaming at me, to the point I have to just laugh at this new sensation of a post-scrimmage burn, but I choose to return each day for the joy of the team.
Saying ‘yes’ is part of the journey. A part of the journey I thought would be easy, but at times, has greatly challenged me. I didn’t want to say ‘yes’ when I was asked to jump off a cliff in Thailand, I didn’t want to eat the mushrooms in my Japanese soup, I didn’t want to lead a congregation in worship with my voice, I didn’t want to do sport ministry. Looking back, I see that those are some of the most profound moments of my race – simply in knowing that, if I would have said ‘no,’ I would have missed an opportunity to grow. I instantly returned for a second round of cliff jumping, I fell in love with the art of cooking mushrooms, stage fright has nearly vanished, and “I love sport”!
Reflection:
What opportunities have you said ‘no’ to recently? Was your decision made out of fear? Ask God to open your heart to new opportunities and experiences as he tears down even the simplest forms of fear.
