Living With Peace

Bball Girl is on her last of three games in this wonderful first basketball season. The team won this one, advancing their record to 8-1-1. Bball Girl took home 6 of the points in the 16-11 win. We have two games left, sadly. We're going to miss basketball. Maybe we will miss more having to shush The Hub on the sidelines. In these small gyms, his critique of the game, the opposing team, the opposing coaches, the refs, um...well, let's just say everything is heard.

In unhappy sports news, Oldest did not make the lacrosse team. We're pretty sad about this. He has put in a lot of energy and hard work at practices and tryouts, we've purchased equipment and were looking forward to an exciting spring season. Sadly, four or five boys who were seniors like Oldest, were trying out for the first time this year. The coach says they are seniors and thus too old to play on the JV team, and unfortunately there's no room for them on the varsity squad, since this is their first year playing. Oldest says he's okay with that. To be honest, I think the boy is tired. He has been pushing himself pretty hard these last few weeks. I think this closed door is God's way of forcing a bit of a rest on him while he gets ready to wind down his senior year.

Yesterday, our church sermon was about "Living With Peace." The Hub did a fantastic job presenting a "living sermon" using props such as his beloved referee shirt and whistle to show how we understand authority. Think about how a 6'6, 320 pound lineman on the football field respects what the referee says, stops when the whistle blows. He might not like it, but he respects it. He stops (usually!) when the whistle blows. This, friends, is how our respect for God's authority should work too. When God says stop, man...we should STOP.

The Hub presented us with Psalm 55:22 as a reference for putting our burdens on God's shoulders and living in peace. Respecting His authority, understanding His awards and trusting Him for our peace should be our lifestyle. Worrying, having fear and living in anxiety is not what God intended. Why is it so hard for us to do then? The Hub showed us a backpack stuffed with garbage, weighed down with handweights, carrying around on a back that sagged under the weight. That, friends, is sometimes us. We stuff the "garbage" into our lives and then buckle under the weight. Instead, God encourages us to stand up tall, take out the trash and don't become weighed down by the burdens that God says to give to Him. Did you know that Psalm 55:22 says to give your burdens to Him? And you know what else it says after that? "He will take care of you." If His word says it, believe it.