Basketball and God-2

For any of you who read this blog you may be wondering why I am talking about basketball again. First of all, let me say that I am not a huge, obnoxious basketball fan (GO KSU), however I am a huge, obnoxious Aimee fan (that's my little girl). I love to watch her play basketball and that is typically one of the highlights of my week. Last week something happened that once again reminded me of God's amazing love and forgiveness for me. This game was about as lopsided as they come. The other team was scoring on us at random. The only hightlight worth mentioning was Aimee's 2 points. Be that as it may, as I was watching the other team drive up the score I noticed that something very subtle yet profound had happened. Some time after a double digit lead, the scorekeeper zeored out the scoreboard. When I looked up it was 0 to 0. At first I thought that was a little lame and the competitive juices starting flowing and demanding that we fight back. However, a thought started to permeate my competitive brain. The phrae that was ringing in my ear was "it's all even now, the deficit has been removed". Then I remembered the "love" verse in I Corinthians 13.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast,
it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

That phrase, "keeps no record of wrongs" is what came to mind. That's the way it is with God. In our life there are times when we feel like we have messed up so much that our eternal scoreboard reflects a sound defeat and an obvious losing effort. Many of us, myself included, have kept a running total of all the wrong, hurtful things we have done in life and have found ourself in a place where we are losing and losing big. However, I have discovered a new truth about who God is. For so long I picture him as a mad father waiting for me to screw up so he could slap me upside the head with a 2 x 4 and teach me a sound lesson. But what I have discovered in my brokeness, heart break, and pain is that God is not like that at all. God is the lover of our soul. he is our biggest fan, and our greatest advocate. God is the ultimate lover awating the arrival of the love of his life (that's you and me). Because of His great love and grace for us He takes all of those wrong, hurtful thing that we have done and removes them. He erases the score and makes it even once again. God's heart is not to break us when we do someting wrong. He is not interested in lists, scorecards, or hit lists. Instead he is after your love. God has evened the score. There is no longer any guilt or shame waiting for you. There is only a God who loves you beyond measure and has been waiting for you to look up at the scoreboard and see that it's all been removed, there is no defeat, there is no defecit. There is nothing but love, forgiveness, hope and peace.

At the conclusion of the game Aimee had no clue what the score was or who won. All she knew was the abudance of love she received when it was all over. The score was not a factor because she knew that win, lose or draw. She was loved and that's all that mattered. Isn't that what God wants for us too? So many religious people get caught up in the score and keeping track of wrongs. But God says, forget the score, enjoy the game and know that you are loved.

Who would have ever known you could learn so much from watching 8 year old girls play basketball. His kingdom is all around us, all we have to do is look. See you at Starbucks!

Peace
Ralph