I am coaching a 3rd and 4th grade boys basketball team and our first game is tomorrow. In every practice, we have drilled on an inbounds play and an offense. We have discussed where I want players taking shots from and where they should play on defense. At the end of practice last night, I let them play a brief 4 on 4 scrimmage and I was disappointed (but not surprised) by what happened. No one played defense where I told them to play, shots were flying from everywhere, layups weren't done like we have practiced over and over and over. I wanted to pull my hair out watching these guys do the opposite of everything we have practiced for 4 weeks.

As I look back on my frustration, I wonder what God feels when he sees me doing the opposite of what He told me I should do. I wonder if He gets frustrated with me and wants to reach down, grab me by the ear and yell at me to do what He has told me to do.

My kids will play Saturday and next Thursday in practice, we'll go back to working on the things we did wrong and work on getting it right. In the end, I know it's just a game and nothing is really at stake.

I'm so grateful that God will be patient with me, work with me to fix what I'm doing wrong and help me do it right because the only thing that is truly important is at stake.