i wrote this a while back. october 11th, actually. but, am just now posting it. enjoy...
at practice monday, i started out playing keeper for the U11 girls team. after a week of simply observing practices, i decided i wanted to actually "do." it makes more since this week than last as i have learned a lot of the kids names by now, and most of them know me no longer as the random person watching their practice, but as "coach sara." #winning. ha. anyways, i jumped in the goal with the U11 girls as there were only six girls at practice and they were shooting on an open goal. why not, eh? it was fun. after the drill was over, i meandered my way across the field. remember this whole time i am observing the different coaching styles, player personalities and behaviors, level of soccer, and looking at it from a lens of how can i bring northstar soccer to the next level. i walk over to watch a boys team. and, as i was watching these boys dribble aimlessly around the penalty box, i saw one tackle another boy. then i saw them both get up, and the same boy knee the other kid in the back. time to jump in.
so, i pulled him aside and asked him what was up with that. what just happened? why did you kick him in the back? what are you supposed to be doing right now? the natural questions, you know. we chatted for a minute and i told him those behaviors aren't appropriate here at northstar. we are going to treat our teammates with respect and be nice to them. to which d. asked, "why?" it seemed to me he was asking an honest question. now, granted, i don't know d. very well, but i imagined he was genuinely wanting to know why we should be nice to others. when he asked that question, i was a little bit blown away. blown away that he would genuinely ask that question, and how much it left the door open for a conversation. i replied, "you know, honestly because jesus told us to be nice." we kept chatting about why we should be nice, and d. then told me, "god told us to be perfect." he went on to say, "god told us to be perfect because he is perfect. i am perfect." i thought in my head, whoa whoa whoa. so, i pulled a jay and took him through the law.
"have you ever lied?"
"no."
"not even a teeny tiny lie? maybe about who started the fight with your sister?"
"no."
"okay, have you ever wished you could have as good of soccer skills as your friend, or wish you could have their family, or wish you could have good grades in school."
"yeah."
"well then god says that is sin. you aren't perfect. you just said it."
"but i am perfect. and, god says we have to be perfect to get into heaven. everybody's perfect."
"wait. you just said you have sinned. then you aren't perfect."
"no, i'm perfect."
"i'm confused. how can you be perfect, but you just said you have sinned?"
"because i'm perfect."
"well, god says that if you have committed one sin, even if it is teeny tiny, you have done the same thing as a super big sin. it doesn't matter in god's eyes. and, if you have done one sin, then you are a sinner. and, are separated from god." and, while i am saying this, his coach starts getting everyone together to start another drill. great timing. ha. so, i tell him super quick, "well, the good news is the jesus came and died for your sins."
"but jesus wasn't perfect."
"yes he was. the bible tells us so. jesus was perfect, and because he was perfect and died for our sins, we can now know god and go to heaven, if we believe in jesus." and, he heads back to his team.
after practice, while we are packing everything into the soccer van, i ask val and tina (old northstar coach who was back this week to help) about d. both said he can be a difficult kid. but val also said, "god has definitely put northstar soccer into d's life. the lord is definitely at work in his life." amen. may he keep working.
