Mel's Heart

My thoughts about God, living for Him, being a writer, wife, mom, and child of God

Saturday, February 24, 2007

Basketball and Holy Ground


No, I am not worshipping basketball! I'm just learning some things in the thick of basketball season.
We are a basketball family. And I am so thankful that God truly has given me the ability to enjoy this sport. I love watching my sons play and Scott coach. Maybe it all started went I went to the ACC tournie many years ago while I was pregnant with Zachary...
BUT - things have gotten over the top around here. Along with coaching Zach's team, Scott is an age commissioner for the community league. And right now we're in the tournament. This means there are games every night and all day sat and sun for about 10 days. So he has to be there.
Okay, okay, but THEN - there's more. We're using the Union Academy gym and Scott is in charge of opening and closing this gym every time it's being used. Not great, but okay, God we can handle this... but THEN - here's the tough part, Scott was out of town last week, not available to open and close the gym, so who do you think got to do that most nights? That's right, me.
So I have been praying every second because let me assure you this is not what I want to be doing. I have gotten busy. I'm preparing talks, writing book proposals, editing devotionals, trying to work out at the gym and keeping up with the rest of our lives.
And an amazing thing has happened. I have seen God's supernatural grace just land in me and He given me a gracious attitude. Most of the time:)
As I've been praying about it, the Holy Spirit brought to my mind Exodus 3:5 "... for the place on which you are standing is holy ground." This is where Moses stops to investigate the burning bush and then God speaks to Moses and tells him his calling.
We all have holy ground in our lives, a place made holy because God shows up. Moses was being a shepherd, pasturing the flocks, when God changed the common to holy. I think about how Moses could have just passed by that burning bush and really missed out on a lifetime of knowing God more intimately.
We have that same opportunity to see the holy ground right where we are. For me the holy ground in my life right now is basketball. I want to see God in this. I want to see his grace transforming me and breaking me free from any other strongholds in my life.
The sin tendency I have to fight against is anger and resentment and withdrawal from Scott. I really don't want to do that. Scott knows this has been too much, neither one of anticipated how demanding the schedule would be, he's not going to do it again next year, so why make all of us miserable? I don't want to punish Scott with my bad attitude, and I don't want to prove that I am right about this being too much. It is what it is... how will I let God in? How will I let God use this to make me more like Him? How will I trust Him in this? How will I partner with God to love Scott in this? I'm choosing God.
Deuteronomy 10: 20, 21: "'You shall fear the Lord our God; you shall serve Him and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name. He is your praise and He is your God...'"

1 Comments:

At 6:33 PM, Blogger Butch said...

Thanks for sharing your heart and your mission for God, even if He has you on short-term ground. Thanks for being obedient. Sometimes I am blinded to God's message and wonder if I would have been as discerning as Moses. If it were me confronted with a burning bush, I probably would have yelled, "fire", then try to stomp it out with my size 11 desert sandel. I may have even called for one of the faithful followers bring me a goats bladder of water to try to douse the fire. Either way, I would have snuffed out my opportunity to hear God. I'm ignorant that way. That's why I pray, almost daily, to have God keep me grounded and know that He is God.

 

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