Happy Monday C-Sports family! I hope you all survived the storms over the past several days. I’m sorry we had to cancel games but the safety of our players, families and staff must always be our greatest concern. We actually did have one staff member injured during the storm Thursday but, thank God, she is fine. Somehow the lock to the rec storage shed was lost during the scramble to get things put away Thursday. Several people looked all over for it as it must have flown off the door when the wind whipped it open. I looked for it twice myself. This morning, before going to the lock store we use to get a new one and a bunch of keys made to it, I went back out there again. I had been looking maybe 10 minutes or so, sweat running down my face, and finally I said out loud in exasperation, “Lord, where is the lock?” I promise, no exaggeration, I then looked down and it was lying at my feet on top of the pine straw we keep in front of the shed. I guess God sometimes sends a reminder that He’s watching everything we do.
My wife and I were blessed to spend a couple of days at the beach with friends this past weekend. Though I was still in touch via phone with family and work, I used the time to relax and recoup. I have a hard time relaxing when I know I have things that need to be done, but I tried. I had recently read the story of the two wood cutters who entered a contest to see who could chop the most wood in a day. One of the cutters chopped non-stop. The other took a break every couple of hours. When the contest ended, surprisingly, the cutter who had taken the breaks was the winner. When asked how that could be, the winner explained, “During my breaks I was sharpening my ax.” There is a message there. Maybe a couple of “rained-out” games presented a needed rest for many of us. I was able to use my time to reflect, to appreciate, and to quietly commune with God, my Creator and Savior. That is my equivalent of “sharpening my ax”. We read in Philippians 4:8, “Finally brothers, whatever is noble, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable, if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” In life, whatever we feed grows and whatever we starve dies. That is especially true of our spiritual lives.
Welcome to Mobile, Alabama! It is going to be sunny and hot, rainy and murky, cloudy, windy, all in the same day. When we find ourselves changing plans due to the weather, let’s use that time to feed our spirits with prayer, Bible reading, and even in conversation with family members without electronic devices in our hands or laps. God’s mercies are new and exciting every day. Let’s expect and enjoy them!
Thank you all for the tings you do to make this ministry produce Godly results. Have a great week and I’ll see you on the fields!
In His Service,
Steve Ellisor, Recreation Minister
Christ United Methodist Church
251-706-3326