"God is greater than man"
Job 33:12
I watched the Little League World Series last weekend. Well, I watched as much as I could. They're just boys ~ the same age as my Amazing Boy ~ and for every boy who's celebrating a strikeout or home run, there's another little boy who's disappointed by what has just happened. So I stopped watching when I couldn't stand seeing any more disappointment.
What are ya gonna do.... I'm a mom, after all...
I was watching the semi-final game ~ the game that would decide which US team would play for the championship ~ and it was quite a ride. The team that would eventually win ~ Tennessee ~ was ahead in the last inning by a wide margin, but then the other team ~ California ~ caught up. So they went to extra innings where Tennessee pulled ahead again and won.
It was hard watching that sixth inning, as California caught up. Not because I was rooting for Tennessee; I didn't care which team won.
I just didn't want either team to lose.
And every time a batter got a hit or scored a run, it meant the pitcher felt bad for not striking him out, or the fielding player felt bad for not making a clean play. And then when there were two outs, but California had gotten closer, every batter that came up was afraid he'd be the last out.
And somewhere in the midst of all this, when a batter was coming up, and he looked a little nervous, the coach had some great words for him. He said, "Just relax and do your best. You're not going to win this game, and you're not going to lose it."
It was a good reminder to the boy. He didn't have the power to lose the whole game. Frankly, even the boy who gets the last out of the game isn't responsible for losing, though he may feel like it. Everyone who participates in the game plays a part in the loss, or the win.
It's a good reminder for us, too. Especially if you're the type who has trouble forgiving yourself for mistakes. Think about Peter, denying three times that he even knew Jesus. Big mistake, right? This one knocks him off the All-Star Team, right? But God wasn't done with Peter. He continued to serve God until the day he died. And even after, really, if you consider that we are still benefiting from the letters he wrote, 1 & 2 Peter.
And more importantly, Peter's failure did not affect God's plan. That's the beauty of it; nothing can. He allows us free will, and He allows us to suffer the consequences of our own sin and others'. But nothing happens without His consent.
Some people get confused by that. How can we have free will, if God is sovereign over all? To me, it's a simple as: He knows what choices we're going to make, so He just accounts for them.
A few years before my family moved to this state, my father nearly got transferred to another state. So, if we hadn't moved here, would I have met the Apple of my Eye? Well, how easy would that have been for God to coordinate? Easy.
It's just like with Peter. If we fail, God gives us another opportunity to succeed. And another and another.
Now I'm not saying God wanted one or the other team to win. He's got bigger plans than that. Like what He wants to teach those boys, and their coaches and their families. Those are the plans He has that will not be thwarted.
So relax. Just do your best. Make mistakes and have successes, and know that you're only one part of His plan. Let Him use you as you grow in Him, and rest in the knowledge that He is sovereign.
~ "And we know
that all things work together for good
to those who love God,
to those who are the called
according to His purpose" ~
Romans 8:28
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