Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Powerlifting and Losing Focus

We drove up to Fayetteville for a Special O Powerlifting competition. 

Joshua’s meets are usually first thing in the morning...on a Saturday. This meet was in the afternoon, on a FRIDAY...and that put Joshua in an unsettled state from the get-go. 

Add to that the extra time it took to set up the room, and get volunteers there to help (because this was a school day, and the volunteers were students), and Joshua was D-O-N-E before the thing even started. 

And so, for the first time in, well...forever...he struggled. 

It got me thinking (which could be a good thing, or not!) about how this experience is, many times, just like life. Or, like MY life. 

Because I have plans...you probably do, too. 

Joshua had a plan for his day. He had prepared for it...he was ready. He was physically ready. He had trained hard. He had set a goal to make a personal best. 

But things weren’t going according to plans, and he lost his focus in the waiting. 

HE LOST HIS FOCUS IN THE WAITING. 

He got weary...distracted. And then he had a misstep, and he got discouraged. 

Anybody? 

Anybody relate to having a plan that doesn’t work out? To working hard for a goal that you don’t make? To getting distracted, discouraged, and weary in the waiting? To experiencing a bump in the road, and just giving up? To sometimes, maybe, just “phoning it in”...not preparing or working hard enough, because we’ve been there before, and “we’ve got this?” 

I mean, where does the line form, amiright, people? 

No, it was not the best meet ever, but it was still a good day. We had fun being together, and he brought home 3 gold medals. 

More than that...lessons were learned that will hopefully last longer than the events of this day: perseverance, determination, grace for ourselves and others, taking responsibility, encouraging others in THEIR attempts, being grateful. 

Lessons for many areas of life. 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before Him, He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.” (Hebrews 12: 1-3)

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