Serving Lessons from the Volleyball Court

I can't believe it. Summer break has flown by and the kids are back in school. Yesterday was the first day and it was so good to see them both come home with smiles on their faces. Hannah had been especially nervous, but she seems to really like her teacher and her class.

Kaelie was really eager to get back to school, in part because she made the volleyball team...hooray! We were so excited for her. Today they had a scrimmage and won, a great way to start the season. Kaelie was one of the two starting setters and it was so much fun to watch her play.

I'm so proud of Kaelie because she has worked really hard to earn that starting position. Last year she tried out for the team but didn't make it. Instead, she was offered the chance to be a manager. She was so disappointed and upset, but she chose to get past the hurt and take the opportunity to at least work out with the team and hone her skills, even though she would never get to wear a uniform or take to the court for games.

There were days when being a manager was really fun and she thoroughly enjoyed it. There were also days when she came home saying she felt like some of the girls on the team treated her like a slave and a second-class citizen. Nonetheless, she decided that she would work hard and be the best manager she could be. She set a goal for making the team this year, and after playing in a travel league through the winter and attending a volleyball camp this summer, she saw her hard work pay off.

In my opinion, Kaelie's experience with being a manager taught her something even more valuable than volleyball skills. It taught her life lessons in humility and serving. 1 Peter 5:5 says "...All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble'."

During her time as manager, Kaelie swallowed her pride over and over, doing her best to work and serve for the greater good of the team. She was rewarded by getting to be a part of a remarkable undefeated season, and ultimately by making the team this year.

Oh, if only we in the church would just learn that lesson. It is so easy to gripe and complain about how the same people do all the work all the time, or to be jealous about someone else's ministry or the growth of the church down the street. Think of how the world would change if, as Paul urged the Philippians, we would only in humility consider others better than ourselves. Talk about a winning way to serve...better than any ace serve on the volleyball court! :)