Gina Caswell Kelly
I watched the heartbreak of defeat last night on the faces of young high school boys. I saw the tears streaming down their faces. I am blessed to be kind of the “Mama” on the sidelines while I am taking pictures, and I was touched to see several of the boys seek me out to comfort them in their heartbreak. Mostly though, they clung to each other and their coaches. And this is how it should be.
They are a family. They win together as one and they lose together as one. Everyone needs that sense of family and that feeling of belonging. That is what this team has done. They have brought in each other and they have bought in to what they were being taught. It definitely showed, as they never hung their heads. Even when the seconds were ticking away, they continued to shout encouragement and continued to hold their heads up. I really, really like that.
Sports, and other extracurricular activities can bring so much to a kiddo’s life. So many don’t have anywhere else they feel safe and feel they belong. Being a part of a team gives them that security maybe they don’t feel anywhere else. Our coaches have done a great job of raising young men. I know many of their stories. Life is not always easy for many of them. They need each other. Watching their faces last night as they loved each other and hugged each other and cried big old boy tears with each other, just gave me so much pride.
Our life as Christians is much the same. We are on a team. We have a great coach in Jesus Christ. We have assistant coaches in our pastors and other spiritual leaders that step in. We play hard together as a team to make a difference in our world. We laugh together. We cry together as a team. We rejoice as a team together.
We celebrate each other’s victories and hold each other close in our time of sorrow. If you are not a part of a team of Christians serving together and loving together, you are so missing out. As those who have given their hearts to Jesus, and committed to doing our best to follow Him and accept His grace and forgiveness, we are also called to be a part of a team. We work better that way. A dedicated church full of dedicated Christians can reach many, many more than one person acting alone. We need each other to work best.
Just like on the football team, the quarterback does not win the game singlehandedly. Neither does any other one position. Our churches are the same. We need each person playing their role, whether it is passing the ball, or blocking. We each have a spot to serve.
If you are not serving God in a church somewhere, find you one that preaches Jesus as the only way, and join the team! You will not be sorry and you will find so much there. Your life will be better, deeper, richer for it.
Join the team. The team of followers of Jesus Christ the Lord. It will make a difference!!
