What High School PE taught me about Life

I would like to open this blog up by first saying that I am the queen of two left feet, invisible obstacles, and hand-eye UNcordination.  And if there were ever a perfect time to start having panic attacks, high school PE was it for me. 

 

I was not the girl who could play every single sport and had to weigh out each year which she would have time in her busy schedule to devote herself to.  I was not even the girl who could play one sport.  I was the girl who woke up before the sun to go to marching band practice- and chose an instrument I didn’t even have to march with. I was that girl.  So PE… yea… no… just no.

 

My sophomore year of high school I had the pinnacle of physical education teachers.  It was his life.  HIS LIFE.  And I have never been more embarrassed in all of mine. 

 

To give you a picture of what that class looked like for me, let me start by saying he never called me by my first name but rather referred to me as “Benbow” for the entirety of the year.  Yes, my maiden name was Benbow (not to be mistaken with Bimbo) and you can only imagine the utter joy I felt as I heard it screamed each day.  Especially since I was SO GOOD at everything and “Benbow” was immediately followed up with “constructive criticisms” that felt more like public flogging than anything.  It was horrible and every day I would have to use any bit of strength I had left to fight back tears as my self-esteem fell lower and lower. 

 

High school PE.

 

I just knew it would be the death of me.

 

Watching my son start teeball brings back all too many memories of when I would strike out inning after inning in our softball unit.  Not just for the first day, but for every day.  Every day that was until the last one.  On the last day I had finally made contact with the ball… twice.  It shocked more than just me.  My teacher, who was so used to telling me how I was doing it wrong, was now walking over to me with a ball and pen.  I’m not sure if he was mocking me as he had me sign my name, but when he handed it to me to take home I stood a little taller.  I finally did it.  I finally hit the ball.  I finally knew what it was like to succeed after failing time and time again.  And even if it was a joke, the joke was on him as I walked off of the campus that day with a piece of school property in my backpack.

 

I don’t know about you but I am tired of hearing, “practice makes perfect”.  Because it doesn’t.  Perfection is something I killed myself trying to reach for years and after all of this time, a few victories and a lot of defeats later, I am waving the white flag and saying “I give up”. 

 

I give up on having this unrealistic expectation that if I do it “enough”, or work hard “enough” then I will be something that no one on this earth besides Jesus has ever been… perfect.  The only thing that practice does is make you better than you were yesterday.

 

Maybe you missed that so instead of you going back to read it I will just write it again. 

The only thing that practice does...
 is make you better than you were yesterday. 

 

And that my friends is what high school PE taught me about life.  That I will fail time and time again, but as long as I am even one iota better than I was yesterday then at least I am traveling in the right direction. 

 

Psalm 106:3 says “how blessed are those who keep justice, who practice righteousness at all times!”  I want you to realize something that could be of the most significance to you and how you decide to live your life; Righteousness is something we practice, it is not something we achieve.  We are humans and as such no matter how good we are, we are never worthy enough to be considered righteous.  That is why Jesus had to come.  Not because we are righteous, but because we are sinful. Righteousness is a continual act of work.  It is a daily choice.  It is not a destination.  But in choosing it day after day, moment after moment, we will be better than we have ever been before.  Not perfect, but better.

 

I am not a professional ball player.  I am not even a veteran high school ball player.  And to be completely frank I am not and never could be a coach for a bunch of five year old ball players.  But I did it.  I hit the ball.  Twice.  And keep this in mind if you are ever feeling like a complete and utter failure… no matter how often even professionals, who are paid millions to hit balls, practice; they still fail more than they succeed.  So try again.  You can do it.

 

Proverbs 24:16

"For a righteous man falls seven times and rises again"

 

 

Run And Don't Look Back!

It has been said that “if you set yourself on fire, the world will come to watch you burn.”  If you’ve been to San Francisco you will realize that this is so true, and it takes much… MUCH… less to cause people to stop and take notice.

 

Last summer I had the privilege of mentoring a young girl for an entire month on purity.  We had met a few times for picnics, walks, and such but I decided that our last talk should take place on a train to San Fran.  We would talk, shop, walk (I only add that because it rhymes- and there was a lot of it) and admire the beauty that is the ocean- it would be a great day I was sure of it. 

 

Once we had arrived we set our sights on Pier 39. After getting some delicious donuts, window shopping in some of the cutest shops, getting utterly creeped out by a store filled with everything made from alpaca hair, and being unable to find a place to admire the ocean view due to our untimely visit during the AmericaCup- we found ourselves in front of that little stage.  I am sure you know the one.  There have been many a performers to grace it and that day was no exception.

 

Standing near the back we attempted to blend in with the background so as to not make a fuss if we decided to move on.  And of course this plan failed horrendously when the performer set eyes on this lovely girl I had brought and drew everyone’s attention as he instructed us to sit in the front row.  So we did.  We sat there.  It wasn’t what we wanted but to not cause a commotion we did it.

 

And that is when I failed her as a mentor… Not too long into the act our now new dear friend the performer decided to marry this young girl off.  The only thing I could think was- oh, great.  Her parents entrusted me to talk with her about purity and my genius brain takes her to San Fran and gets her married in one day.  It was incredibly awkward watching the man beside her enter into a forced proposal (of course I am sure he wasn’t completely unwilling) and at the first opportunity of attention diverted, I grabbed her hand and whispered “run, and don’t look back”.

So we did.  We ran.

 

This past weekend I had the honor of celebrating this beautiful girl’s “rite of passage” (which is a bit like a Jewish bat mitzvah) and this memory flooded my mind.   I could feel myself smiling ear to ear recalling all that had happened that day.  And in my one last opportunity to impart as much as I could to her, I left her with what I want to leave you all with today-

 

Run, and don’t look back.

 

It is not only God who has a plan for your life, but the world has one too. 

 

Often times we find ourselves in situations when we sit down so-to-speak, not because we want to but because we know we would ruffle a few feathers if we decided not to.  The world imposes its will on us and to keep the peace we do exactly as they say.  We follow the story they’ve written out for us to the “T”.  We don’t just tolerate, we celebrate things that don’t align with God’s word because it is just plain easier.  We don’t want to stand out; we want to be accepted, so we sit down.  We bow to culture, media, and the overwhelming desire to be liked and in that moment the world’s plan wins.

 

The bible instructs us on our desire to be liked- it says sometimes we won’t be. Not always anyway.  OUCH!  I don’t like that at all.  I want people to like me.  We all do.  But if we are looking to this world for its acceptance we will be utterly disappointed.  Following the world’s plan will be fun for a season, maybe even a few seasons but I can guarantee you that it will not turn out well for you.  I have watched so many girls get swept away in it all only to find them years down the road lost and confused.  Just think of it like the island on Pinocchio.  It looks like fun.  And it is… until it’s not.  Until everything that was promised- love and acceptance- turns out to be a horrid conditional imitation of the real thing.

 

So run girls.  Run and don’t look back.  Seek God for His plan for your life.  As someone who has followed His voice even through the most opposing of times, I can tell you that it is so SO worth it. 

 

 

 

2 Timothy 2:22-26

²² Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. ²³ But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. ²⁴ The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, ²⁵ with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, ²⁶ and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.

 

Galatians 1:10

¹⁰ Now am I trying to win the favor of men, or of God? Do I seek to please men? If I were still seeking popularity with men, I should not be a bond servant of Christ (the Messiah).