Slip for Joy in the King

This is another extremely long post, I apologize. If you want to just skip to the last couple paragraphs you will get what I actually want you to get.

In fall 2007 I was pursuing my third year of high school basketball. I had so enjoyed the winning seasons of 9th and 10th grade that I couldn't wait to see how good we were going to be. Even though I loved the game I didn't heavily practice and just hoped I would do well. That was my first problem. My second problem was I was dry in The Word. God saw that the desires of my heart were to impress my basketball teammates and not to draw closer to Him. It was in His plan that my heart would change.

It was getting closer to basketball beginning and I couldn't wait for the season to start, so that I could get on the court with the girls and start having fun. The practice I had done had been fruitful, but I had consistently hurt my left shoulder every time I played. My mom and I went to the doctor and I got X-Ray'd and MRI'd, but we didn't get a call for a month because my appointment was so far out. One week before the season started we had a team meeting. It was so exciting to be sitting with the team getting ready for the future season. The next day was my appointment. Mom and I walked in with smiling faces because both of us and my dad were sure that nothing was wrong, it was common to have your shoulder slip. When we were finally greeted by the orthopedic doctor we were both excited to leave. He started to talk about how if he had a daughter with my shoulder he would do something about it because the cartilage had been torn and I could risk worse injury. Tears started to run down my face because all my confidence disappeared. My mom looked at me with a disappointed face. The orthopedic doctor took us out to look at the MRI to help us understand what was going on. All that I saw was a blurry computer screen. As soon as he was done I turned around and started to walk quickly out of the office. My mom grabbed my shoulder and started to cry with me. She loved that I played and she loved to watch. Every plan had changed, I didn't know what to think.

We went out to eat because I needed time to process before I went back to school. We prayed because that was all we could do. We couldn't change the injury, but God had a plan. When I got to school I didn't tell anyone until one of my teammates said to me, "How was the doctor?" Right in the middle of the hallway I began to cry. I couldn't say anything I just cried. They knew why I was crying.

We got to the surgery date and I missed Thanksgiving and the whole basketball season, but the plan God had was so much better than basketball. First, he should me some deep-seeded sin. I was angry at God for putting me through this because it was going to be my best basketball season. I had never felt that angry. I would wake up out of anger because this plan was stupid. I was prideful because I thought I was the bomb. I thought I had better plans than God did. When God showed me these sins the Cross of Christ became so precious to me. Second, He gave me the opportunity to serve Junior-High students, who I love deeply. Third, He drew me closer to Himself. Fourth, He gave me friends who love Him to show me my sin and to love me. As I look back at the past year and all that I've gone through I praise God for what he did. He showed me sin that I was holding on to and by God's grace I'm working to get rid of.

This summer I planned on going to four different camps where I would work with Junior-High and Senior-High kids. At the end of May it had been settled, but God had a different plan. A couple weeks before school let out I was playing Spring basketball with my team and at the end of our last game for the night my right shoulder slipped and I was in the worst pain of my life. I drove home and I laid on my bed writhing in pain. A couple days later I got an MRI and after that found out that I needed surgery on my shoulder. I would need surgery quick so that I could write once school began. We scheduled the surgery for July 16th. Again my summer vacation was ruined. I was only able to go to one camp because the rest of them are after next week. God used this second surgery to reveal my sin again.

One night I woke up really angry. I couldn't sleep because I couldn't understand why God would put me through this again. Didn't I learn my lesson the first time? I opened up a book and the chapter I was on was about suffering. God used that chapter to humble me because Christ suffered way more greatly than I am, but my pride was saying that this suffering was way worse. He used the chapter to reveal to me that all my sin was on the cross.

God is faithful. God has so much better plans than you do. When the plans change don't get angry. Praise God for the plans he has for you because they are, "for wholeness and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" (Jeremiah 29:11). They are so much better than your plans. And, "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness" (James 1:2-3). The trials make you sharper and draw you closer to Him. In verse 4 of Psalm 24 the one "who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false and does not swear deceitfully," will stand in the Holy Place of the Lord. Jesus died so that you can do that. If you sin find hope in the cross, if plans change find hope in the cross.

Following God's plans (Lord-willing),
Greta