Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Pressure is Off
A former student came by for a visit yesterday after our students were dismissed. It reminded me of the dichotomy that takes place between teacher and student, pre and post enrollment into one's class. When I had this particular student last year, well, to put it mildly - he was a pain! In these days of high-stakes testing and teachers evaluated almost purely on the basis of "this year's" test scores, I didn't appreciate his frequent need for as we might say, jocularity.
Now don't get me wrong, I can be as "jocular" (is that a word?) (I guess it is now) as the next guy. But, there are times when we have to buckle down and get down to business in Algebra and this particular kid just didn't seem to have the same level of concern as his teacher. So what else is new, right? Any way, when I saw him yesterday our visit was pleasant and flowed easily. It brought forth an image (among many) I have in my mind.
The day after Steven had played in his last game as a Senior in his final District Tournament, I witnessed something. I was up in the Press Box getting ready to announce that night's game. I happen to look down the left field line where a small set of bleachers sits just to the side of our Home dugout. Sitting on that bleacher were Steven and his Coach. The Coach had his arm around Steven and I could tell they were enjoying a light moment together. It occurred to me then as it did yesterday.
The pressure was off, there wasn't a win or a test score to endeavour to attain. There was just the relationship without the competition, the rules, and the expectations and to borrow a line from Genesis, "It was good." I see that in my walk with the Lord. So often in the past, the "rules," the dogma, and the endless and winless task of not ticking someone (or church or para-church organization) off based on how they think "church" should go kept a lot of joy and ministry out of my life.
Praise be to our Father, our abba who wants to sit in the bleachers next to us, put His arm around us, and just enjoy the game. I love David's words in Psalm 51:12
"Restore to me the joy of your salvation....."
May your day and your life be filled with joy.
Now don't get me wrong, I can be as "jocular" (is that a word?) (I guess it is now) as the next guy. But, there are times when we have to buckle down and get down to business in Algebra and this particular kid just didn't seem to have the same level of concern as his teacher. So what else is new, right? Any way, when I saw him yesterday our visit was pleasant and flowed easily. It brought forth an image (among many) I have in my mind.
The day after Steven had played in his last game as a Senior in his final District Tournament, I witnessed something. I was up in the Press Box getting ready to announce that night's game. I happen to look down the left field line where a small set of bleachers sits just to the side of our Home dugout. Sitting on that bleacher were Steven and his Coach. The Coach had his arm around Steven and I could tell they were enjoying a light moment together. It occurred to me then as it did yesterday.
The pressure was off, there wasn't a win or a test score to endeavour to attain. There was just the relationship without the competition, the rules, and the expectations and to borrow a line from Genesis, "It was good." I see that in my walk with the Lord. So often in the past, the "rules," the dogma, and the endless and winless task of not ticking someone (or church or para-church organization) off based on how they think "church" should go kept a lot of joy and ministry out of my life.
Praise be to our Father, our abba who wants to sit in the bleachers next to us, put His arm around us, and just enjoy the game. I love David's words in Psalm 51:12
"Restore to me the joy of your salvation....."
May your day and your life be filled with joy.
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Amazing how we kept ourselves wrapped up in knots thinking there was anyway we could be perfect....when all the time the perfect came so we would not have to be...
Donna - You're so right. Think about the pressure of having to be in the "right church," with the "right name," doing all the "right things."
Then you discover that all the people in the "right church" sometimes act in very wrong and hurtful ways. Then the big one hits you, you discover that you're in that club as well. It it no wonder that ministry has a hard time breaking out among us??
Thanks be to God as Paul writes in Romans, that at the "right time" while all of us we're still sinners, Christ died for us! Now that's what I call "right timing."
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Then you discover that all the people in the "right church" sometimes act in very wrong and hurtful ways. Then the big one hits you, you discover that you're in that club as well. It it no wonder that ministry has a hard time breaking out among us??
Thanks be to God as Paul writes in Romans, that at the "right time" while all of us we're still sinners, Christ died for us! Now that's what I call "right timing."
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