Cheering on the football team and the band has been a blessing. We don’t miss very many games and look forward to the Friday Nights Lights excitement. Sure, we may be partial to the marching band but we support the football team, drill team, cheerleaders too! One particular game that was scheduled on a late Saturday afternoon will not leave my memory anytime soon.
This Saturday afternoon game we were the travelling team. We arrived to the stadium and before we entered the shiny metal bleachers we could feel the heat radiating off of the stadium seats. Not five minutes after finding out seats we felt the sweat streaming down our back and our faces. We were so hot and miserable. But, football in Texas can be like that! Some games are so incredibly hot you would think it was July! Other times we huddle under a blanket willing for the game clock to run down. This game it was not cold at all. There was not even the slightest hint of a breeze. The round burning sun sent its scorching rays to us and was granting no mercy. We are fans and we support the school that our kids attend. So, we stayed and cheered and sweated and then sweated some more. We also probably complained about the intense heat more than once!
It was not long at all before we noticed the home team fans. They sat on the opposite side of the stadium in complete shade. It was a completely different story on that side of the stadium. We stared enviously at their shade. We begin to hopefully watch as the sun ever so slowly begin to set. It felt like an eternity but we begin to see the shade take over a few of the bleachers on our side of the stadium. It took over section by section and we were getting giddy as we counted down the shade coming and providing us relief.
Once the shade arrived it was such a welcome relief. The intensity of the sun was no more. The unbearable heat pounding down was gone. The moods of everyone become lighter and smiles replaced miserable and pained looks. We begin to enjoy the game and the company of those around us.
There was also another beautiful blessing that came. It was one of the most striking sunsets I’ve ever seen. The deep hues of a setting sun put on quite the show for us. It was quite simply an astounding sunset! The other thing we couldn’t help but notice is the home team did not get the benefit of witnessing such an amazing sunset.
Sometimes life can be miserable. Sometimes we are waiting in less than ideal conditions. Sometimes we just want to run somewhere else to be free of the pain of the moment.
Ecclesiastes 3:1 There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under the heavens:
God has a plan! Many times we are not privy to the timing of the plan but we must trust that God will lead us forward at just the right time. In the college years, the future is looming large. What will you do upon graduation is the constant question.
We must trust God timing and God’s ways even when they are painful and seem that they are not going according to our self made plan and those around us are prospering.
Psalm 37:5-7
Commit everything you do to the Lord.
Trust him, and he will help you.
He will make your innocence radiate like the dawn,
and the justice of your cause will shine like the noonday sun.
Be still in the presence of the Lord,
and wait patiently for him to act.
Don’t worry about evil people who prosper
or fret about their wicked schemes.
God has a purpose and plan for your life! Even in the midst of waiting when things get unbearable, trust and obey God and his hope for you. As Psalm 37 says we should stay committed to our Lord knowing he wants to help us. Sometimes there are things to be learned in the waiting. God calls us to be still in His presence and watch him act. Those that prosper who don’t know God can be hard for us but God tells us they are none of our concern.
Living a life fully committed to God and knowing that in God’s timing things will move forward. Our hope should steadily stay on God and God alone and He will direct your path through college and after as well!