Tag: community

Silence can be one of the hardest things to deal with in life, no doubt about it. The waiting for a job opportunity, making the team, taking that extra step in that application process from “thankyou for your application unfortunately you weren’t successful this time” to “Your application was successful. ” It’s always easy when we have control of these things and have the “ball in our court” and as a society whether we deny it or not – we are hungry for this in our lives. 

One of the great life lessons and skills is to let that go – but our desire for things on a daily basis that fill our basket of wants and also needs can often get in the way. We are often advertised as needing complete control of our lives, finances, desires, fulfillment, and satisfaction. The list is really endless when you think about it. I believe from my own personal experiences that’s where the anxiety when we don’t have this grows.

The list is really endless and never runs out once you get control of that thing something else crops up, then that thing and often that control you get creates another thing out of that vicious cycle. It becomes draining and tiring chasing the ball around trying to be the only one with it in your hands.

You then become bitter, angry, upset and ultimately stop growing in character when you chase something that feels like it can never end. What shapes this is the belief you can achieve ultimate control in your own stead – but our lives reflect daily that simply is not possible and also is fraught with caution in the relationships we have daily with others. 

On this Good Friday – Jesus had complete control of the situation even when he was hanging on the cross – you would remember the story of the two robbers who were hanging next to him – one assumed he would just exercise his control and come down from there but the other knew this is the point he was trying to make about our lives and the many he would save for the decision he was going to ultimately make.

“One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Messiah?” Save yourself and us!” but the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what we deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” 

Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you today you will be with me in paradise” – Luke 23:39-43 NIV

In this one moment we see a convicted man relinquish the “ball in his court” and pass it to God because next to him was the one who shouldn’t even have to pass it or give up the open scoring opportunity – did the same by giving his trust in his very life to his Father in Heaven. 

There is far more context in this one moment that can be pulled apart including the other robber who couldn’t relinquish control himself –  however the key here is that if the one who always had the ball in his court chose to give it away to his father in heaven. 

Why can’t we? 

It is because of this one decision that we actually have freedom to have more balls in our courts to either score the open look, dish off to someone else to give them something they don’t have or make a play to get closer to the target in our life he wants to give us access to. 

Cause if you have the same ball constantly in your hands then how can someone freely pass you the one that grows your character, life opportunities, relationships and share his love with your community???

Sometimes the reason you have silence in your life journey is because someone out of nowhere is about to pass you the ball that God wants you to catch, hold onto for a bit then freely choose to pass on.

It’s called an assist for a reason – it’s the ultimate assist in life…