Misty Melting Monday

Today has been a total reversal of the last two fabulously sunny days. It seems that it coincides with my study of Esther and the reversal of destiny that is so prevalent and the topic of Chiastic Structure that was introduced in the study but also brought up by a local Bible teacher! I won't do justice to the definition given in the study, so if you really want to understand the literary term, I highly recommend doing Beth Moore's study of Esther!! There's a roundabout plug. To give an example of it: "Eat to live, don't live to eat." See the reversal? Anyway, the mists have been flowing in all day. Right now I can barely see across our pond. It comes and goes, but having it instead of snow is a positive. The weather is continuing to melt our snow and the bank in front of the house is slowly receeding!

As the snow is slipping away, I am finding my energy return. I went to a friend's son's soccer game the other day. He is four and there is something so sweet about watching 4-5 year old's try to play soccer! They do pretty well, considering, but there was a moment that was extradordinary! Towards the end of the game, one boy had a wide open shot. He wound up and gave it his all; only to find the ball alluding his toes, but finding the heel. He proceeded to trip up and the ball literally cushioned his fall the entire way down. It was perfect. The ball travelled along his body as he fell down, yet never hit the floor hard. All of us in the "crowd" stifled our giggles, and exclamations as his little teammate made his way to help his friend. Then it happened. The 2nd boy had an open shot as well, but his sights were only on his friend. He, the 2nd boy, disregarded all of us in the stands yelling for him to kick the ball, in order to bend down and help his fallen friend. Once he realized the game was going on and his friend was ok, the rest of the kids had made their way to the scene and the shot was no longer open. To my dismay and humbling realization, most of us watching began to bemoan the lost goal opportunity. It hit me immediately that we should have erupted into cheers for that boy's actions, for they showed the best life lesson. I loved how the focus was totally for his friend and the game was completely secondary. Only after the shouts penetrated his conciousness did he mentally return to the game.
I was so convicted. I wondered how often I was "in" the game and didn't stop to help a fallen friend. I knew I had gone right past. I have a tendency to become very task-oriented and narrowly focused. Leave it to a 4-year-old's soccer game to impact me. I truly hope my heart will be melted as the snowbank in my yard and that I will be able to see the friends who need a hand and not bemoan a lost opportunity to further my goals or finish my tasks.