We recently took our high schoolers to a military pinball course in town for a little “good, clean fun.”. Now I will admit, I am openly wussy. Running around in the woods with the possibility of being shot and bruised up was not my idea of a good time, but it’s what our teens wanted to do…so there I was.
We arrived to find some “pros” gearing up to join our little band of misfits. One of them was sporting an M-16 paintball gun and yet another a full competition suit. Now it is at this pointe one of our guests pulls our a paintball pistol. I am now officially outmatched and our gunned and more than a little nervous. Before arriving my biggest fear was having my equally unskilled teens tagging me in the butt with a few paintballs…now I was looking at abuts who’s fully automatic a guns would mow me down in a matter of seconds.
We teamed up with most of the “pros” and military on one side and me and the teens on the other side. One pro names Eli joined our team and after hearing how we were to watch for snakes, spiders, and scorpions…we were set loose to find our fort. It took our team more than 10 minutes to do this seemingly simple task. This was not a good sign.
When we arrived Eli began to tell us the best strategy for success, divided the team according to their strengths and lead the offensive wing of our band of brothers. The game started and I hunkered down for the fight. It is slightly terrifying to know that someone is actively hunting you down and you won’t necessarily see them coming. As I contemplated these things a funny thing happened. The bell at the other fort had rung signaling our team as the winners.
This would happen again and again as our team won all three matches. We even one the last one without our “pro” Eli. So it got me thinking about how we were able to win so decisively and how that relates to our spiritual life.
What I figured was fairly simple, and yet profound. We simply trusted in the person who knew more and saw more than we had, listened to his plans, and did exactly what he said. This is what led to our success son the field.
Now, what if we did the same in life. What if we fully trusted the One who knows all and sees all. What if we actually read and listened to His plans for our life. And the biggest “what if” of all…What if we actually DID what He said to do? That would end much like our paintball game….only taken a whole nutha’ level as Ed Young, Jr would say.
God has told us in Jeremiah 29:11 that it is His plans “prosper you and not to harm you. To give you a hope and a future.” What if today, you and I chose to live like we fully believe that.
