365 Random Days of Team Zybko

Day #163

June 23rd, 2012

God Sent Me A Text

I've really been enjoying my hand me up

Fellowship of Christian Athlete Student Bible
given to me from one of my kids.

Being an 

ATH-AAH-LEET 

I can really relate and understand easily
the metaphors used as examples.
Yea yea yea. 
I get it. God is like the coach.
OK...yes. 
HE knows all his players better than anyone else.
Inside and out, on and off the field. 
Their personalized, gifts and abilities, from head to toe.
HE is in charge.
It's HIS plan.
HE has a way to make it all work.
To win the game.
To glorify HIM.
Sometimes it may be hard to see or understand.
I take that back, for me
 most of the time it's hard to see and understand.
Either way you try your best and do what you are told to do.
Whether you wanna complain, drag your feet or disobey.
You do it cause HE knows
the best way to use you to win the game.. 
 When the coach asks you to play goalie
despite your talents or confidence in that position
you suit up and run to the other end of the field. 
Getting a little more nervous with each long stride across the grass.
That's ok, that's normal.
 Breathe, breath, breath.
 You CAN do this.
You can totally do this.
With a sign of the cross a deep inhale and a quick glance towards the heavens you immediately stand a little taller.
HE won't leave me.
HE is with me every step of the way.
No more worries as you remember a responsible coach, a coach you sincerely trust wants you to do well.
Always. 
HE would never put you in a place you wouldn't be able to make a difference or succeed. 
You may fumble a little with the new to you
slightly awkward equipment.
Again, normal, yes but your attitude remains positive always.

Smiling from with in as you know you are doing your part for the team and your coach. 

One hot day last week I check the kids into the MACK
(McLeod Activities Center for Kids) at the gym.
An awesome area they can play with their friends with even more awesomer workers to coordinate, well duh....activities. Over the years Team Zybko has gotten quite attached to these peeps in charge. Some becoming super close friends, part of the family actually. Any who, I was craving some mom quiet time. Not the kind you get when teaching a zumba class, hiding in the laundry room to eat a private dessert or the 38 seconds behind a locked bathroom door. Real quiet time I mean. Time with my Bible a comfortable chair and HIS love. Just me and my GOD. I sign them in at the desk or maybe not, sometimes I forget that step as I'm dumping snacks, water bottles and squeaking out in a hurry to leave.

Thanks you guys for picking up my slack
 and loving my kids like you do. 
I have multiple secret spots in the gym I go to be alone. Little pieces of peaceful real estate to be informally rented for an hour or so. My private slice of heaven to get away from it all. Some with cozy chairs and nice lighting but my favorite nooks and crannies consist of practical industrial carpet, dim lighting and a simply painted wall to prop up my old back.
Like a Navy Seal I slip out of the MACK before a kid can hang on to my leg, whine or fuss I packed the wrong kinda peanut butter crackers. My legs move quickly to complete the first step of the mission. My black cotton black yoga pants already feel warm and clingy, my legs are moving fast. This part of the plan can be the hardest. The glass windowed door shuts behind me and freedom officially begins. Whoo hoo. I'm outta here sista.
I look at my watch, the time starts now.
Favorite Indoor Spot # 1.....meeting in session.
Favorite Indoor Spot #2.....class going on.
Favorite indoor Spot # 3.....being cleaned.

Not discouraged yet.
I will just have to take advantage of an outside favorite spot. 
My re-used Gatorade bottle has been filled up with fresh ice cold water fountain water. I can outside. Ya take what you can get. Plus it's only lunch time in South Carolina in the of middle of June.
How hot could it be if I score a little shade up under a tree?

Taking a short cut through the pool to the back door was perhaps a mistake. It's packed, swim team practice in session, familiar parents chillin around the stuffy pool area, waiting on the time to pass. While I am in fact an extrovert and social butterfly my own time was ticking.
T minus 58 minutes.
I'm not really in the mood to chit chat but it's in the blood so I stop my Nikes on the slippery deck. I smile as I'm sidetracked with summer time small talk and well known friendly faces. Inching past the 3 feet at a snails pace I have a visual of the outside. I'm almost there. The 4 feet and deep end equal more happy
 old man weather talk. 
Yep, yep I heard that too....suppose to get up to a hundred today. Whew. I think rain tomorrow though, that's good.
Ya know we need it.

I check my sports watch as I push the foggy heavy door out to the back patio. Drats, I lost 11 and half minutes out of my hour. 
4 seconds later I realize favorite outside spot #1 is overrun with summer camp kids eating lunch.

Miss Victoria! Miss Victoria! Miss Victoria!

I smile through my desperation to just sit, eat my now mushed up packed granola bar and get lost in my own thoughts. These are the same kids I've had the privilege of teaching summer camp mini zumba classes to. Excited sweaty happy faces are hard to resist. Stopping to goof off a few minutes is a treat although I do struggle to remember all their names. Nick names will do, they don't know or offended that
 "Hey,dude!" 
actually translated in soccer mom means
"Hey, I don't really remember your name guy even though I've seen you 2 million times at the MACK over the past 3 or 4 years."

      
 No worries I will scoot around the corner, zen out and feel as good as new in the 44 minutes I have left til the MACK closes. Getting situated in the metal patio chair and flipping to 2 Samuel. Thrilled to find out more about this King David guy, whoa he was cool a dude, a bit bad but quite the warrior. After reading a few verses I'm easily distracted. Young playful voices and a strange swarm of  natty no see em bug flying around and sticking to my already sweaty face. I reach down for my water bottle for a refreshing let's get concentrated swig only to discover it's not there. Oh right, I set it on a counter way back at the MACK when I bent down to get some wood chips out of  LaLa's shoes. I grab my phone out of my bag and envision catching up on some emails and texts. 
  
Just then another age group of summer camp kids come through a back door led by one of the counselors.
Not just any counselor but Bri Bri. One of the workers at the gym that have become way more a family member than just a girl with a McLeod badge clipped to her purple shirt. She notices my Bible resting on my lap, looks down at her hand and gives me chapter/verse to look up.
Her verse of the day clearly sharpied on her hand to get her through her day. I get back in the game and forget about my stupid IPhone and all the diversions it holds in the palm of my hand. 
I look it up right away keeping my page on 2 Samuel with my left hand. I read the short verse a few times,
 it's in the book of John which is all such good stuff.
The words don't jump off the page to me but
they must mean something to her.
I make a mental note ask her about it's importance later.
My left hand flips back to my spot, page 319 chapter 22.
A prayer or song written by King David. I dive in forgetting all the other distractions in my little bubble. Like the water
 I have forgotten at the other side of this big building
 the words are refreshing.
HIS words.
Satisfying my spiritual thirst and good to the last drop. Tastes more like a Diet Dr. Pepper in a Styrofoam cup over crushed ice. Oh yea, that good. Nice I keep thinking to myself as these words seem to have been written for my eyes only.
Verse 31, I read and re-read over and over again.

As for God, his way is perfect;

the word of the LORD is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

Three lines written for me. GOD love notes are the best. I keep starring at the page. I close my eyes and recite the 25 words again  trying my hardest for it take a special corner of my memory bank and my heart. I take big gulps of this stuff and chew with my mouth full. I've been wondering what set of verses or chapter to start memorizing for a super summer challenge.
25 words, yea I can get around to that.
Sure, ok, good. It's settled. 
The lazy part of me says good, that's good enough.
Wait, wait wait good enough is not the team I want to play for. 
God doesn't want good enough.
He wants way more than that. I should probably memorize ALL 51 verses, the entire chapter.
No way, that will be too hard. I don't have time for that.
HE says it again.
ALL of chapter 22.
Really God?  
You know I have a lot going on right now.
How am I going to do that? I talk and plead with HIM.
I look back down at the page, my eyes now overwhelmed by amount of letters pushed together, forming way too many words.
  HE repeats himself for the 100th time.

Memorize all of chapter 22.
 Get some of your team mates and challenge them as well.
Iron sharpens iron you know.

Yes Lord, I have heard that somewhere before.
Hey Victoria...one more thing. 
I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT.

Thanks coach.

I take a big huff, sigh and slink down a little in the hard patio chair.

51 verses....no way. 

Still not convinced I heard HIM right I take a break and start nibbling on my strawberry Nutrigrain bar. I flip over my phone which has been resting quietly on my leg. I swipe the the bottom of the screen and wipe my forehead with the same hand. Man it's hot out here. Bri has sent me a text. Another verse to look up. I love treasure hunting and flipping pages in word. You never know what gem you may find or be led to.

PSALM 18:30  

No need for a rubber thumb or a nasty lick of the finger to get to the right page. I tell myself I'm done with quiet time after I read Psalm 80:30. High noon is way too hot, even in the shade. I'm ready for real food and an actual Diet Dr. Pepper. Sonic is on the way home and my change compartment in the van is filled with nickels and dimes looking for a good home.

PSALM 80:30 reads

As for God, his way is perfect.

the word of the Lord is flawless.

He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

My mouth drops to my chest wide open. I'm pretty sure I've been PUNKED or just been filmed on a modern CANDID CAMERA.

 I look around for a host guy with a wireless microphone to come jumping out of the bushes.

What in the world?

Of all the pages in my Bible you are gonna tell me Bri sent me to the exact same 25 words I had already been reading. She was busy with the kids as she walk by and the #'s and letters would have been up side down anyhow. No way. That's impossible.

I look up on my smart phone.

How many verses are in the Bible?

Over 31,000!

 

So there you have it. God sent me a text message. Using one of his angels of course. Cause HE can send us a message anyway HE would like. I was being stubborn and not listening. HE knew I'd check my phone as we all do looking for messages. Still amazed I push the small screen and log on to my Face Book account. Maybe just maybe I will have a red #1 notification symbol that GOD has written on my wall.

Wouldn't that be cool.