Preparation is the Key

One of my favorite movies of all time is Facing the Giants. (if you have not seen it, it is a MUST SEE. You will never be the same) There is a quote from there that I have up in my office. It simply says:

God will send the rain with He's ready. You need to prepare your fields to receive it.

I know this means different things to different people. But, think for a moment...what is YOUR field and what is YOUR rain? Are you believing for children? Then your body is your field and your baby is your rain. Are you waiting for a financial breakthru? Then your bank account is your field and the finances are your rain. You may just be waiting for God to help you with your life in general. Then, your mind is your field, and your faith/belief/answer is your rain.

No matter what your situation is, you will need to have faith. That doesn't change. All of us are believing God for something. All of us. A few months ago, my pastor told us to think of something that we were having a hard time giving to God, and we prayed about it and I gave it to God. Whenever the devil tried to bring it up, I reminded him and me that it was God's issue now. My hands were off. Amazingly enough, that was all it took. Just a month after that, that "thing" I gave God blossomed. I was truly in wonder. God did it!!

Later, I saw how how I had been preparing my fields and didn't even realize it. God is faithful. He loves us very much. AND he wants to bless us. He wants to send the rain....you just have to prepare your fields to receive it.

Go think about that.....

Take Me Out to the Ballgame

"God will send the rain when He's ready. You need to prepare your fields to receive it."
---line from Facing the Giants

Ok, my son had an All-Star Little League- 8 and under Tournament this weekend. Boy, what a lesson it taught all of us.

Saturday, the two teams we played were bigger and better. We found out later they played kid pitch in the regular season, which means they were already a level above where our team played. They were all 8 and under, so technically they could come down to coach pitch and play. Our team was outplayed because they got discouraged. These other teams would have probably beaten the parents if we had played them. :)
As parents, we have to set the example of fair play and good sportsmanship. I saw some parents out there that did not do this. This made me sad.

Sunday, the teams were evenly matched. The teams we played were not a level ahead. Those were terrific games. Both teams scored runs, and fielded plays. As a parent, I loved it. I got to cheer my team and laugh, and generally have fun. There were still parents who took it too seriously, but I guess that is life. We tied the first game and lost in overtime. The last game we played we tied, and went into overtime and won by 2 runs. After feeling like our little guys had been kicked around all weekend, it was such a sweet victory. I knew our team had played by the rules, worked hard, and not given up. We were so happy.

On the way to the car in the parking lot, my son informed me that one of the coaches suggested they pray. So, my son and some other boys sat on the bench in the dugout and prayed. That is why we won the game!!! Had I ever thought about praying for a baseball game? No. But the kids did. I told him it was just like Facing the Giants. They used their faith to help them overcome great obstacles. God rewarded them.

We have much to learn as grown ups. Think about that.