Learning from the Word

Last weekend was the 15th birthday weekend for my youngest daughter. Melanie and I like to do what our kids want to do on their birthdays. We make them their favorite foods, give them a gift or two off their lists, and generally try to make it a special day for them.

One of the things Siara decided to do was to play tennis as a family – all five of us. Now I should share that I made my high school team (Highland Park High School in the hotbed of tennis, Topeka, KS) and also played on my college team for a couple of years (at Concordia teachers College in the hotbed of tennis of tennis, Seward, NE). I remember myself as being pretty good.

On Friday in anticipation of the big match, I humbly told my family that I was the best in the family, and they should all expect to lose the next day. This was greatly debated, but since I am the patriarch of the family, it was quickly dismissed – by me.

On Saturday, I went out and bought a new racket – I hadn’t been playing very well recently, and I was sure it was the faulty inferior equipment. I also purchased a few cans of new tennis balls, because we who play at a high level can tell if we are using inferior equipment.

I hit for a couple of minutes with my wife, and then the infamous words were shared – “let’s get this over with old man” - from my son.

Old Man – who is an old man – 50 is the new 30 – old my foot – I’ll show this cocky new college grad a new definition of old.

The game started out 0-1 – Good for him I thought, I won’t skunk him. Then it quickly went 0-2, 0-3, 0-4 before I took the game that should’ve turned the whole match around. Then it was 1-5. A few minutes later, a few words that I regret saying, and a humiliating score of 1-6, 1-1, I knew the end had arrived. I picked up myself, called it quits and went to sit on the sidelines, very frustrated.

My wife asked me why I was upset – and I stated, “I hate to lose.” I realized though that hitting great shots in my mind and actually hitting the shots in a live game were two very different things at this point in my life.

Forward to the next day. Sunday morning I wake up, and it’s Father’s Day. I sat at the table and began my daily reading of God’s Word. I was in 1 Kings and the words God presented for me that day were these…
1 Kings 20:11, “The king of Israel answered, "Tell him: 'One who puts on his armor should not boast like one who takes it off.' "”

In other words, don’t be talking big before you actually can deliver on your words.

Thanks God – As I go through life keep me humble in my daily walk. I apologized on Sunday, went out and played some more tennis with the family in the afternoon – just hitting – and thanking God that all my guys were home to share in the special day.

His Word is like that – convicting – sobering – and yet empowering and freeing.