It's Not What I Expected...

Our youngest just started tackle football. He's really good. I mean, REALLY good. Once he has the ball there's no stopping him. He's living his dad's dream. Ha! They both LOVE football. Before our first born was two years old he could probably spit out the stats of the NFL's top ranking players and run a play better than any professional running back. 

I don't think we-ANY of us-realized how dedicated one must be to the sport of tackle football until now. You see, there are those out there who consider this a VERY serious sport. Hence, the 5 day per week practices for two hours each day. Yes, two hours per day. Oh. My. Goodness. 

This reality has especially hit home with our son. Today, he had a break down. We were eating dinner just before heading out to practice and I looked over and saw tears in his eyes as he finished up with dinner. 

"Why are you upset?" I said. 

"I don't want to go to practice," he said. 

Honestly, I didn't know what to say. That moment took me back to my school days. THAT moment was the reason I went through a dozen sports and activities in school before landing on ONE finally in high school that "spoke" to me. I remembered how easily I was allowed to quit in the middle of something that was hard for me. I remembered, also, how I wished that I would have been encouraged to be the victor in the face of difficult situations. 

"Well, you're not a quitter. You are dedicated, dependable, committed and hard working and you love football. Remember that." 

Mean mom? Nope. A mom who believes in her son and sees the potential in him to become greater than he is right now. 

As we finished up dinner and he got all geared up and ready to go I could see tears forming in his eyes. Again.

Really wanting to get to the root of the issue here I asked him, "What is it about practice that you don't like?" 

He paused and reluctantly responded, "It's harder than I expected."

And there we have it, folks. The truth. 

Isn't that so much like each of our lives? Expectations. Our lives are full of them. From what we expect in our day-to-day living, to our spouses, to friends, to kids and ultimately...from God.

I have had 33 years to learn that life is never really about what we expect. I have also learned that, most of the time, that's a good thing. 

You see, God tends to exceed our expectations. And, I love that about Him. He ALWAYS does exceedingly and abundantly above ANYTHING we could ask or think. So, I've learned to throw MY EXPECTATIONS out the window and trade them for BIG FAITH and BIG HOPE. 

I am learning that when things aren't exactly what I expected. When things are a littler HARDER, a little SURPISING and UNEXPECTED, I am reminded that God's working something spectacular IN ME and THROUGH ME. 

In relation to our firstborn, I know it's the same. God's DOING and WILL DO some amazing things IN HIM and THROUGH HIM during this football season. Even though, right now, he can't see it and things seem a little harder than he expected. 

HE sees something greater than just right now. And that "something" is just what He expected. 

Expecting great things to come,