Lessons from A Soccer Season

I can't believe it's almost over!  Just a few more games and Chris's first year on Junior Varsity will be done.

Those close to us know I'm insane.

You see, conditioning started the second week in June. After a two week break after Club play.  Every day, for two hours.  Plus 10 sessions of personal conditioning to strengthen and protect his back.  Then, he had one week off in August.  This is the 285 day of the year.  He's played soccer approximately 191 days of those 285.  That's 67% of this year.  At an average of 2 hours a day that's 382 hours of play.  There have been roughly 6,840 hours in this year to date.  Approximately 20% of this year has been spent with a soccer ball.

Twenty percent of his life his year has been spent on a Mission Field.  We teach our kids what we so firmly believe - you are all called to go.  "Go into all the world," means the soccer field, the dance studio, the doctor's office, the grocery store, your business and even the blog-o-sphere.  

At one point the fatigue of the season hit him.  He asked to not go to practice.  We knew he was tired - did you read those statistics?   But he had made a commitment.  We made him go.  Then he went to Youth that night.  Commitment is hard, service is not always fun.  It's about learning to be a Man.  A Man of Character.

A Man of God.

Sometimes it means standing alone.

Doing what's right when no one else does.

Leading the pack.

Treating people with respect.

Going the extra mile.

Being early.

Staying late.

Supporting those who are cruel.

Loving those who are mean.

Keeping your mouth shut.

Speaking up for those with no voice.

And before someone goes "holy" on me and yells about a "balanced" life - Chris has also learned an important lesson on his own this year.  As he saw himself spending more and more time in the sport, God began to deal with him on how much time he spent on his relationship with God.   Each day he spends time alone, reading the Word of God.  Studying his Father's plan.  

I don't believe in a "balanced" life.  I believe in an integrated life.  We are born-again Christians.  It's who we are.  It's what we believe.  It permeates every pore of our being. 

We are not perfect - far from it!  Just ask someone who lives with us!  But we are working each day to be closer to our Father.   We take God with us everywhere!  He doesn't get left on the doorstep.  The warm-up bench.  The waiting room.  The office door.   We believe God uses every opportunity, ever failure, every success;  every bump in the road, mountain top high and valley low - everything! to bring us closer to Him.

Even 191 days of soccer.

Another lesson learned.

PS - I will not even being to add up how many miles we've driven.  Let's see, 2-a-days;  3-a-days;  training;  Albuquerque league, Denver Showcase, Tournaments.........