Friday, August 17, 2012

PUT ME IN COACH

Imagine that you are assistant coach of the Boston Bruins (pick your own team if the Bruins don't work for you...although I can't imagine why they wouldn't!). The game is going along ok, although at the moment your opponents seem to have the upper hand (or stick, as the case may be). 
Suddenly, a new player (X) appears on your bench. This player has a reputation of great all around stick handling on offense or defense. This player can set up the shots for another player or take the shot and score...every time.
X shuffles over to you and says, "Put me in coach. I'm ready to play." Awesome! The only problem is, you and the coach can't quite decide where to play this lightning on ice. The right wing is looking a little ragged, so maybe that's the problem. Or maybe your center needs some shoring up. It's kind of hard to tell because the action is happening fast. The two of you confer and decide that the first thing that needs to happen is "stop the other team's offense" You put your player in and 'boom!' the ice heats up and the opposition rarely gets to touch the puck, let alone score. Your player is stealing the puck, passing with accuracy, never going off sides, always hitting their mark. This is great...but you are still down on the scoreboard. Even if your player continues to keep the puck away from the opponents sticks, you are still in the hole.
The other players on your team are watching the new player, and they are inspired. They begin to play better hockey than the Bruins have seen since Bobby Orr and Phil Esposito! They are razzling and dazzling...but still not change in the score. You confer with the coach and decide, maybe you need to shift this gifted player to another position. Perhaps if player X moved into offense, you could change the score. You call X over, (not a bead of sweat on X's brow...)and you say, "We're moving you to offense. We need a big score here or we'll lose the game." X smiles and says, "Put me in coach, I'm ready to play." X moves into position, gets the puck from one  of the newly inspired team mates, moves down the ice toward the opposing goal, fakes out the defense, sets, shoots, scores! The crowd goes wild...the team goes wild...but the game isn't over. The score is tied. That is not a win and player X loves to win! 
"Hey coach," player X says while skating by you, "I haven't gotten a chance to play goal yet. Put me in coach, I'm ready to play!"
You look at the coach and decide on the spot, "Why not?!" The team is on fire. They are ready to respond to the challenge. Nothing is going to get by X, even if the defense comes up short. Let's get the focus on the goal.

The puck is at center ice. Face off. The opposition gets control of the puck and send it down toward your goalie. X ably defends the goal and looks around to the team. The Bruins are ready. X passes to the left wing. Left wing takes it up the ice, crosses the blue line, passes to right wing, to center, to left wing, to center, shoots, SCORE! THE BRUINS WIN! THE GAME IS OVER!  THE TEAM PILES ON TO X! THE CROWD CHEERS AND WHIPS THEIR SHIRTS AROUND OVER THEIR HEADS! You and the coach high five in victory as X pulls out of the pile and skates over to your box.

"Hey coach, when's the next game? I'm ready to play."

Moral of this story: Tapping Prayer is a team effort. It may take some shifting around of the Spirit to finally discover which position will win the game, but God is always ready to play and bring us healing peace.

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