I Wanna Give My All and NO Less

"Don't wish it was easier. Wish you were stronger." These are the words I read as I walk into the West YMCA to workout. They are part of an advertisement for a YMCA boot camp to build self-esteem, strength and confidence. I like these words, they motivate me to workout a little harder.

When Jake was looking at colleges for basketball he paid very little attention to NAIA schools like Concordia who made him very lucrative offers. Jake only considered his highest level offers including a walk-on invite at Nebraska. In the end he accepted the scholarship offer from NW Missouri State where he would most likely still have to redshirt (sit out for an entire year) to get bigger and stronger. That didn't happen. Instead Jake worked hard and proved that though he wasn't the biggest guard on the team he was the most intense and very talented. He got more and more playing time as the season went on and ended up starting the last two games of the year.

It was fun to watch Jake play at this high level. Big crowds, bands, radio and television coverage, game announcers, and cheerleaders create an aura of excitement. I could quickly see why Jake wanted to play here. But it wasn't easy. The competition was very tough and the conference NW Missouri plays in includes UNO and other high ranking national basketball powers. The very first game during warm-ups Jake walked by a 7-foot opponent and Sherri and I looked at each other with a 'you got to be kidding me' look.

At the end of the season Jake won the 'Most Improved Player' award. And on the award is a picture I think fits the 'Don't wish it was easier' slogan. In the picture Jake is driving with the basketball, pushing up against two very big, strong and athletic opponents. These guys represent the reason Jake wanted to play 'up'- to the toughest level of basketball where someone would give him a real shot at competing. In short, Jake wanted to play the best. He never wished it was easier, instead he made himself stronger and as a result of his hard work he had a fantastic freshman season.

I was thinking about the sign and Jake as I was working through a Bible study on suffering. The bottom line is that sometimes life is hard, real hard. Our sin has made it so. God could have made us perfect people with no free will. Instead we are playing in a higher league- a league, a life, with great highs and sad lows. God has told us we will never get more than we can handle- in short, we can play at this level. So don't wish life was easier, by the power of the Holy Spirit, make yourself stronger.

Listening to my IPOD as I was working out and mulling over my thoughts on this subject, I heard the Joy Williams song 'No Less'. The chorus hit at the attitude we need to have towards life which can be hard and fit what I'm trying to encourage us towards this week. Here are the words:'I wanna give my all and no less,I wanna live my life with no regrets. I'll listen to the call, Cause You gave it all. So when You put me to the test I'm gonna give You no less.'

This week in Mass the Priest was talking about the Holy Trinity and he delivered some words I will never forget. He said, 'God is for us, Jesus is with us and the Holy Spirit is in us'. Knowing this, we don't need to wish life would be easier, we just need to keep getting stronger in Him! We are blessed through Him to live confidently and with Hope. So get stronger, get in the Word, get in prayer, worship and service. Listen to His call, give it your all and no less. Knowing God is for us, with us and in us, we say to life, bring it on, this is a great adventure! And best of all, thanks to Him, we look forward to playing at an even higher level when we graduate from here!

Blest Regards,
kp