The Next Basketball Superstar?

Ashtyn, my 7 year old VERY girlie daughter, just started playing basketball.

She was a cheerleader last year, but she said that was boring.  She wants in the action.

That’s great!  Except for one thing, she has never even touched a basketball before now.

I’m not sure Jordan, Bird, or Shaq have anything to worry about.  And the Heat hasn’t called just yet.

She played her first game this Saturday, and when she handled the ball – she dribbled waist high, then knee high, then well – not at all.

It went rolling through her legs.  She dropped the ball.

And do you know what I did when the ball went rolling behind her, right between her legs?????  I clapped and cheered and yelled in my embarrassing booming mom voice ‘Go Ashtyn!’

Do you know why?  I know she’s gonna drop the ball sometimes.  I don’t expect her to do it right.  Not yet.  And matter of fact, not ever.  HUH?

As Long as She Is Trying…

You see, as long as she is trying to do what she can, I’m happy.  She is going to mess up and make mistakes, but as long as she is trying I will cheer her on.

My love for her is not based on her performance in basketball, or school, or in life.  I just love her and I can’t stop.

That is how God is with us.

He wants best effort from us.  He wants us to try.  But he knows we will mess up, drop the ball, have bad days, and do stupid things that hopefully we will learn from and not repeat.  But NONE of that effects His love for us.

That can be really hard to believe, especially if you had uncaring or maybe even hard-to-please parents.  But God’s love is so much bigger than human love, parental love, and even the biggest love from the best romantic comedy of all time. (Which I think is Sweet Home Alabama by the way.  What is your favorite?)

Jesus Died because He Loves You

Romeo and Juliet died because they loved of each other, but Jesus died because He loves YOU. His love moves mountains, created the earth for us, caused heaven’s angels to cheer when we declared our love for God, and causes Him to watch us every moment of every day and pray for us always.  WOW!

We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.
— 1John 4:16 NLTse

God doesn’t only love us, even when we drop the ball.  God IS love and is uncapable of anything but love.

So if you have dropped the ball recently in any area, just look to the grand stands of heaven and look up to your Father.  He is still there – cheering for you.  He loves you more than ever on this Valentine’s week and He is yelling down from heaven in His big unembarassing voice ‘Go baby go!’