Real Life?

It has been almost two weeks since we've been home from LiFest, and almost two weeks since my last blog. Life has returned to what might be labeled "normal." Or at least as normal as my life can be. My speaking duties are behind me for the time being and my youth ministry duties are back in full force. The next two weeks will be spent running VBS and then traveling to Brooklyn, NY to participate in a Youthworks! mission trip. It should be amazing.
Speaking of "real life," my last two weeks have been spent in preparation for these next two big events. In between, I did make time for some "fun." Jen, Allie, and I did spend some vacation time to visit my Dad in northern Michigan (Alpena, where I grew up). After returning to the great town of Sparta, MI, I had the pleasure of playing in a local softball tournament. I love to compete, have fun, and win. Little did I know that I would be doing none of these. I scratched together a team of church league players thinking that the level of competition would be similar to our talent level. Upon arriving at the tourney, we found this not to be true. We were in way over our heads, and about four good players short of being where we should haved been. What was troubling, however, was not how much better the other players were (they were impressive), but rather their attitudes. I got the sense that playing softball and winning trophies was essential to their existance and necessary for their esteem. They walked around like they were extremely important (arrogant, to be exact), and used language that should not be spoken in public. Sadly, their attitudes incited one of my players to respond in kind, setting off a couple of "less than stellar" moments of excessive testosterone emmission. Cooler heads prevailed without major incident, but the atmosphere was set and a pall was cast for the rest of the day. We lost both of our games that day and exited ingloriously. If it sounds like I am sour grapes about losing, I am not. It was more the bad attitudes that ruined my day. It's true, I don't like to lose, but at the end of the day, I had a moment of perspective. I realized that, although I lost badly in a softball tournament, my life is about the victory that I always have in Jesus. I felt badly for the men who place their value in the trophies of this world. When the games are over and their bodies don't allow them to compete any longer, what will their lives be about? I pray that they come to know the Jesus that I know. That they would come to know the Jesus that fills my soul and allows me to feel like a winner even after a loss. I pray that they find a purpose in their life that is bigger than themselves, and realize that true value in life comes from knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. As I went to bed that night, I thanked Jen for the life that we have. I thanked her that we can love Jesus, love each other, and serve Him with our lives. Now that is what I call living a "Real Life." Amen.