I've always loved sports where I knew the people playing it. In high school, I loved cheering for basketball simply because I knew all the players and could physically stand on the side of the court during play. I had to be asked no less than three times per game by the ref to "please get off the court" (most of the time it was with a hand motion). I cheered for the players by first name (which they probably hated), and distracted everyone with my screaming. I loved it. With football, I couldn't see the players since we were on the same level as them, and even if I could peek through the bench and onto the field, I would've had to see the back of their jersey to know who it was. Eh. Since I've always enjoyed cheering for individual players, and not just because of my school spirit, cheering for the "team" just felt empty.

But my KIDS. Wow, this is a whole new world! It's not just cheering for them by name, but by my HEART. There's an Elizabeth Stone quote that says, "Motherhood is forever to have your heart go walking around outside of your body." Imagine your heart standing up to the plate to bat for the first time. Or getting within 10 feet of a soccer goal and ready to score. Or playing first base. Or leading the pack down the court, about to shoot a basket. It's the most exhilarating, nerve-wracking, heart-stopping phenomenon, as if I'm actually there with them. When Luke scored a double-play in baseball, I thought my pounding heart was going to explode out of my chest. And when I looked at him, I could see the pride and exhilaration that I was feeling written all over his face.

And it's amazing how the simplest lessons come full-circle and hit me, along with them, in their sporting events. When Silas lost the championship game in baseball, I wanted to cry along with him (okay, I did). But the coach reminded the team about the Bible verse they had been learning all season: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you." He reminded everyone that it wasn't time to cry. It was time to go shake the other team's hand and tell them "good game", since that's what we would want if we had won (see, I can't even separate myself from the team - "we"!) Thank God for godly coaches who are there for our kids to teach them important lessons when they need to be taught and can keep the team's spirits up and remind them what's most important. The boys have both been blessed with exceptional coaches who are able to keep emotion out of their lessons and help the boys do the same. How to be a good winner. How to be a good loser. And how to play as God would want them to - with all their heart. (Ecc. 9:10)