At the Rink

This week is a crazy, full hockey week for me ~ and I love it! :) Both of my boys play hockey (Jake is the goalie for his school's JV team and Benj is 7 and plays for EGRAHA). This is the final week of hockey for both boys - so it's full of tournaments, jamborees, parties, and more! I just left the rink (where Jake's team won 12 to 0 - woo hoo!), and then will attend 5 more hockey games in the next 3 days. Yippee!

I love every part of watching my boys play hockey! I love the thrill of the sport, cheering my boys on (except sometimes my husband says I get too excited - me??!), encouraging the other team members, sharing the stands with my family, keeping warm with hot coffee, and just the overall JOY of it all!

Hockey is a great reminder to me of how I want to live my life! I love watching how the hockey players keep an ear open to the voice of their coach. While the fans in the stands are yelling and screaming with all kinds of directions and instructions (Go! Move your feet! Get on the puck! Hustle!) ~ the hockey players skate with such focus and intensity, but are always listening for the voice of their coach. Always. The coach has the big picture in mind (winning the game), so it's his job to tell the individual players what to do and when to do it. And what do the hockey players do? Whatever the coach says ~ even if it doesn't make sense!

And have you ever watched how the hockey players change their line?! Amazing! How do they know when it's their time to get off the ice? Or hop off the bench? The coach isn't yelling their names - he softly calls it, and the players follow his lead. It's a beautiful thing - to me, it's like poetry in motion, watching a well led team listen to their coach, obey his instructions, and follow his lead to victory!!

I want to live my life like an intensely focused hockey player! I want to be in tune with my Coach. I want to follow Him wherever He calls me to go, whatever He calls me to do! No questions asked - just an absolute trust that my Coach knows what He is doing!

But I'll be honest...sometimes the voices of the folks in the stands distract me. Don't get me wrong - the people in the stands are for me too - their plans can just be different than what my Coach has in mind. "Cindy, you should __________, or why don't you _________". And before I know it, I'm so busy looking to the stands for direction that I take my eyes off the puck, and whammo - score one for the other team!

I'm learning that true victory comes only from listening to the voice of my Coach and following His game plan! What a blessing to know that we are on a winning team (we know how this game ends!) ~ and that if we stay focused on Him - we are guaranteed VICTORY! :)

What about for you? Whose voice is loudest in your life these days? Do you have folks in the stands shouting at you? Are you looking to the stands for direction? Is there noise or clutter robbing you of your focus? Or do you hear the gentle, wise voice of your Coach calling your name? Follow His lead ~ He knows what He is doing!! :)

"My sheep listen to My voice: I know them, and they follow Me". John 10:27

O Lord, thank YOU that YOU always lead us to TRIUMPH in Christ! Thank YOU that we are on a VICTORIOUS team! Please give us FOCUS and CONFIDENCE and STRENGTH! And may YOUR VOICE always be LOUDEST in our LIVES! For Your Glory alone! Amen! :)