challenge

The Challenge Just Presented Itself
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The Challenge Just Presented Itself

Sometimes a challenge simply appears before us, tempting us to go for it.

There are lots of challenges in life – with many, we have no choice but to take them on. 

For instance, if you have a health challenge, there is nothing you can do to avoid it. You have to take it on as best as you can.

Work can provide challenges in the form of a goal or a milestone for you to reach. Those challenges often come with a great reward if you can accomplish them. 

But then there are challenges that, in many respects, are meaningless, provide no benefit to you if you succeed, but are satisfying just the same if you take on the challenge and beat it. 

This morning I was playing hockey and having a rather lacklustre game. 

I had been up really late the night before finishing some work, so though it was 7 am, I was really only operating on a few hours of sleep.

Twice I had breakaways and simply over-skated the puck – no pressure from anyone, no attempt at making some kind of move. I just over-skated the puck. 

I felt tired and had little energy on the ice. Maybe my focus was lacking as well. 

At the end of the game I had a puck and was going to fire it into the net but one of the guys moved the net out of the way for the Zamboni.  

I just wanted to take a couple of shots before getting off the ice, so I decided to just fire the puck against the boards. 

That’s when I looked up and saw my challenge.

My water bottle was sitting by itself, all lonely like on top of the boards by the players’ bench. What was I to do? I had a puck and no net to shoot on. Why not take the challenge staring me right in the face.

I looked at the bottle and took a wrist shot to knock it off. 

I missed … by about an inch.

That stirred the interest of two other guys still on the ice and soon they arrived with pucks and each took a shot. 

I took another shot a little high and wide.

We were going to do this until one of us knocked it off.

The other guys each took another shot.

And then I took a good look at the bottle and nailed it with a wrist shot. I knocked it clear to the back wall behind the players’ bench; water squirted all over. 

My shot hit with enough force that I shattered the bottle top, leaving the bottle pretty much useless. 

Some people might think that sums up a poor game of hockey for me, but I look at it as the best part of the game. 

I’m not sad I broke the bottle. I’m glad I hit it and not the other guys. 

Whoever put my water bottle on top of the boards, thanks! It provided a needed challenge.

Here’s the thing: There are challenges we will face in life where our trust in God will be required. But there are other challenges that God gives us as a gift to take on. When those fun, enjoyable challenges present themselves, don’t do them in your own strength. Trust them to God as well. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is a challenge before you now that you can trust God with? Leave your comments below.

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I’m Finding I’m Having A Challenge With Change

I will be doing something this week I don’t like to do: change.

There are some things I like to change, and others I have no problem changing, but there are some things I will avoid changing at all costs.

Change is a curious thing. I have an Apple Watch with several very different bands. I like that; I like to be able to change my watch strap.

In fact, before I got my Apple Watch, I had a collection of watches in all shapes and sizes because I like to change them up.

I’m not sure I would have been all that excited about moving to a new watch if I couldn’t do something to change the look at least a little bit.

But when it comes to other things, like changing my email address, well, that’s a whole other matter.

I’ve had the same email address for 22 years, and been with the same internet company all that time.

But things are going to change here this week. We got a new internet service and TV package.

I really struggled to make the change because I didn’t want the hassle of informing everyone that they have to stop using my old email address and change to a new one.

The crazy thing is I don’t mind doing it for other people. I get those email messages that inform me that so-and-so’s email has now changed so please update my contact list.

I do it; I don’t have a problem with it, and it works fine.

But just thinking about changing mine, well, it creates a stress that is not rational but real.

It doesn’t make any sense, but I really don’t like the thought of changing it. I’m sure no one will be devastated that they can’t contact me if they forget to make the change in their address book … and possibly I could lose some contacts that are more like spam anyway.

That wouldn’t be so bad.

I just don’t like the thought of all that I have to do to make this change … even though I actually don’t have to do all that much.

But the thought of doing it seems a bit too much. It’s disruptive; it’s changing something that has been the same for a very long time.

It’s like changing out old hockey equipment. I hang on to the same equipment until I am forced to make the change.

Years ago I had a pair of long johns I would wear under my equipment. I had the same pair for so long that they had holes all over them.

I actually sewed them together, so that I could keep wearing them – that’s how crazy my aversion to change is!

With my email address change, the price tag was what eventually forced my hand.

We could save close to $50 per month by making this bundle change.

I just couldn’t justify my old email address being worth that much money.

And you know, just talking this all out right now has made the change seem a little more doable.

Here’s the thing: Sometimes we can get stuck in a sin because we have a hard time with change. Sometimes we have a hard time moving forward in our relationship with God because it will mean change. Be careful that an irrational aversion to change doesn’t keep you from dealing with sin and moving closer to God.

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is something that God might be asking you to change? Leave your comments below.