Soccer Approaches

John in blue on the right

Alia in yellow and green

Spring is a time of year that brings a ritual in our extended family. We have two grandchildren who live here locally and play on youth soccer teams. At one point during the season their games were back-to-back. It was interesting to watch. Our grandson John is five and in kindergarten. It was very entertaining to watch how he approached the game. Most of the time, like the majority of players at that age, he ran around chasing the ball or chasing someone else who was chasing the ball. It seemed as if he was often trying to catch up to the action. At times he was more aggressive and was able to either stop the other team’s progress or help his team move the ball in the right direction. Then there were other times. On two occasions John had to run to the sidelines in the middle of the game to have either one of his parents or one of his coaches tie a shoe that had come untied. On several occasions I noticed John not in the game at all. Instead, he was literally dancing in circles and staring at the sky or distracted by something he saw on the sideline. In the end, his team won, but not because he or his team was any better put together or better coached than the other bunch of five- and six-year-olds on the other team. The game was a tale of two gaggles.

After John’s game finished, we walked to the larger field where ten-year-old Alia was on a much more seasoned team. In this instance, the players all had a few years of experience. They each varied in skill and situational awareness, but both teams seemed focused on the goal of… well… goals. There was a marked difference between the two teams. Alia’s team seemed to talk to each other. They passed the ball around and listened to directions from the coach on their bench. The other team played more like a group of individuals. They had a star or two, but there seemed to be no pattern to their play. Their coach shouted guidance, but the players seemed to pay little attention. Alia’s team won by a good margin. Throughout the game, one of the dads from the other team kept yelling at their coach, blaming him for the ineffectual play.

Lucky for us, as followers of Jesus Christ, we not only have a coach, but a player-coach. He is on the field with us. He is the strongest player. The outcome is sure. The only question is how much I will help. Will I be tripping over untied laces, dancing in circles, distracted by the sidelines, only occasionally engaged in His work? Will I be united with others in following His direction, or will I try to go it alone? Your minds are sharp. I’m sure you are already thinking of all sorts of gospel parallels to these questions. I hope I will be trimming my lamp like the wise virgins in the well-known parable by acting like a player on Alia’s team. I hope I am helping my player-coach as He works to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of us all.