Letting God Make the Pass

This morning, feeling a bit burdened, I sat in the living room under a comforting afghan watching my son Cameron play the new PS2 game he got for Christmas, NFL 2003. At 9, he can name all the quarterbacks for NFL teams and run through enough plays and stats to make your head swim. I was sitting with him physically, but not really there mentally, turning over and over a worry that had preoccupied much of my thought this morning. I vacantly watched the virtual ball fly through the air from the kicker to receiver. A perfect catch.

"Did you do that?" I asked Cameron. "Do you control the ball or does the computer do it?"

Cameron, never looking away from his game, with fingers and thumbs flying, said "When I'm kicking, it's best to let the computer control it. If the computer does it, the receiver catches it every time. If I control it, I have to make sure the ball gets there...and that's a lot harder."

I sat and felt the Aha! spread through my tense mind. Thanks for the object lesson, God, I thought. If I let God call the shots and direct my circumstances, I can be certain they will be resolved in the way he wants them to be resolved. If I grab the controls away and try to do it myself, chances are that my fears and worries and misperceptions will cause the ball to miss its mark. I know this, and I know I know it. And yet, it's so easy to forget. Thank goodness I have a football-loving 9-year-old around to remind me.

Blessings on your day! :) k