Today was a good day.

My basketball team had their first game of the season against a team that could very well be the stiffest competition we will face. We've had just a few practices and in each practice we have worked on our offense and inbounds plays. In the last few we've discussed at length defensive positioning and rebounding. So guess what happened in the game today. Yep, seldom did we run any of the offensive play correctly. Yep, the guys were out of position more than in the proper position on defense. Not much different from our most recent practice. Guess what else? WE WON! That's right, we won and we even came from behind to do it. It took a few time outs and reminders of what needed to happen and the kids kept battling, kept hustling and kept playing. After being down 10-5 midway through the game, we ended up on top 21-17.

I really appreciate the spirit of these youngsters. Even though they didn't do everything right, they kept trying to do their best. They didn't hang their heads or get down on themselves. They kept trying and it worked out in the end.

I hope I can remember their lesson for me. I know what I need to do but sometimes I can't get it right. In the heat of battle, I forget what God has told me and mess up. The key for me is that I have to remember to keep trying, to be focused and to keep listening to the reminders from Him of what I should do. With time, my young team will get better at doing what they should do. With time, I surely hope I continue to draw closer to God and finally, in the end, celebrate victory in heaven.