Being fully prepared, usually, helps reduce my stress level, but recently it was a source of anxious thoughts. Actually, my mind had slipped beyond preparation. I was begining to fret.
…we can have peace of mind in the face of trouble.
Most parents will experience the anxiety of tryouts. Be it a sports, dance, theater, or other, tryouts can be as stressful for the parent as they are for the child. Any kind of competition is healthy, but can produce stress; not just for the players, but also for the coach.
Flag Football
Again this year, I was talked into coaching football, flag football… not just for one team, but for two teams. I have two grandsons that wanted to play: Shiloh and Lachlan, which means I am coaching a first/second-grade team and a third/fourth-grade team.
Jesus said not to worry about tomorrow because each day holds trouble of its own. Yet, I worried. I planned the agenda I would accomplish during practice, I diagrammed the plays we would run, I handed out a “top secret” playbook to each parent, and, later sent follow-up emails with copies of the plays attached. I had said, “There are only six plays. I want them memorized.” That was last week.
Starting to Fret
On Friday, before our first game, I accompanied the grandkids to the high school football game. The flag football players would get to run onto the field with the high school players, fun! While at the game, my daughter told me that my players’ moms had been emailing her. They were asking if I could go over the plays with the boys before the game tomorrow, because the moms did not understand the diagrams that I had provided. Drat, that is exactly what I had hoped to avoid. There would not be time before the games to teach the boys the plays.
Yes, we had run through them in practice, but I knew it was not enough preparation. So, the trouble that flooded my mind regarding tomorrow, were of young boys running around the field in confusion, a situation that surely would spin out of control. My mind was filled with anxious thoughts.
Morning Devotion
On Saturday morning, I was up early and, in my morning devotion, I read the Apostle Paul’s instructions to the Philippians. He wrote:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
—Philippians 4:6-7
Anxiety and fretting are words with similar meanings. This scripture provides clear instructions to stop fretting; don’t do it. It is a trap that robs you of your peace of mind.
Troubles can come in many forms: impossible deadlines, over-filled schedules, family trouble, illness, work problems, and even situations that spin out of control. But, we can be prepared. On this day, it meant asking God for guidance and letting him work out the details. Resting on the peace of God that surpasses my earthly understanding, my choice was to not fret. Instead, God was telling me to “Enjoy the moment.” Each of these young players were children of God. My job was to make sure they were not anxious, but instead had fun.
A Great Day
Sure enough, on Saturday, as I greeted each boy, one little one said to me, “I’m scared.” This broke my heart. God had prepared me for this moment and I was able to provide comfort to this anxious little boy and turn his perspective toward having fun. And, I did. Both teams did well. Everything wasn’t perfect, but the boys had fun, and so did I. It was a long, but great day.
Don’t fret. We cannot choose the troubles that we will face, but we can have peace of mind in the face of trouble. It is helpful If we choose to spend time in God’s presence, to spend time in the Word of God. Doing so allows his truth to make you strong. It will change your perception and reaction to trouble. He can make you bold and unafraid, allowing you to enjoy the moments of life.
Copyright © 2023 Chuck Locklear
Also, see Fear is a Big Bully.