Basket Ball Uniforms ... and other spiritual lessons

My girl Addison and my precious Parker are both playing basketball. They are adorable. They are the kind of girls that I looked at when I was their age and thought …

“Wow … I wish I could look as cute as they do in my basketball uniform!”

Don’t feel sorry for me. I have the pictures to prove my wish was validated.

However, they would never even presume to think they are “all that”. Their tender and sensitive hearts don’t seem to focus on how cute they look in their uniforms like their very insecure and overly sensitive mother did at their age. They are somehow settled. They are girls, don’t get me wrong. They have bad hair days and nothing looks good on me days … but more often than not those days are the exception, not the rule.


Why?

Because, I am a terrific mother.

Ok, I wondered how long you would ponder that until you realized I was totally joking!

Seriously, I believe it’s the power of words … God’s Word. Lately I feel like God has wanted to show me something new about Jesus. He has me reading in the Gospels right now. In Matthew, I began seeing Jesus as this confrontational action hero. He had such boldness (not to be confused with rudeness) to confront the religious leaders … speak truth … and tell them things that they were clearly missing the point about. For example, one time Jesus tells them they lack two things:

1. They lack knowing the scriptures.
2. They lack knowing the power of God.

He says that if they knew those two things, they wouldn’t have bothered asking him the questions they did.

You go, Jesus. That’s the way to pin them down, call it like it is, expose their religious hypocrisy! Then, as I step off the cheering pedestal I have climbed on, I hear that all too familiar voice whisper something in my heart … that place only I can recognize the tender discipline of my friend, Jesus. I hear him asking me to evaluate how much I know the scriptures … and then … if I did … how much am I seeing the power of God as a result of my belief in His word!

Shazam! I start this line of thinking that goes like this. If I know, really know God’s Word, then I’m gonna believe it in daily life, in normal circumstances, in crisis, in heartache, in joy … and if I believe God’s Word … then I’m gonna begin to see evidence of His power.

This is a picture that paints this concept very simplistically, but that’s how I roll. Simple.
This week, I had to book airline tickets. I found a great deal from a “cheap” internet website. I’m excited I got such a good deal and book the tickets. Within hours I get a notice from my credit card company saying the recent attempt at purchasing airline tickets is banned for suspicious activity. My planning little self gets stressed. Now what …

If I know what God’s Word says “be anxious for nothing, but in prayer and supplication and thanksgiving make your requests known to God, then the peace of God will overcome you” then I have a choice to make.

1. Either get over myself, quit worrying about not finding a good deal, and pray, asking God to help me and give me wisdom.
2. Worry. Stress. Freak out.

I did both. I won’t lie. However, after I choose the inappropriate alternative, I checked back into my head and heart and remembered the new thing Jesus had shown me. How would I experience God’s peace and the power if I continued to freak out?

I emailed the rather complicated response from the German travel agent to my Austrian friend. She quickly helped me ratify the situation, cancel the tickets, and clear everything up. It was simple.

I saw God’s power. The power wasn’t the uncomplicated end result. The power was that in my tendency to freak out … there was an “Ah ha” moment and the cycle stopped. Ladies and gentleman that is a miracle and the very power of God!

Now, back to my adorable basketball playing girls who look so good in their uniforms. From the beginning of their cute little lives, they have heard God’s Word about them. They have heard and learned the verse in Ephesians that says they are a masterpiece, created to do good works. If you hear something long enough you believe it! Their confidence comes from knowing who they are … masterpieces! Their confidence doesn’t come in how good they look in their basketball uniforms! That’s the power of God!


These cuties will have struggles to come in their lives. They are gonna have to make a decision just like their Momma did about the tickets. The only way they are gonna make it through life is to know God’s Word … and see His power when they choose to act on it. Good advice from a good Father.