Play Life to Win

I came across this video today and was immediately struck with inspiration to write a new blog. This is a story about an autistic boy who spent years as the assistant coach - years of handing out towels and passing out water - years of watching his team members score the victory and be the hero of the game. Despite being unable to stand on the court and play a game; he enthusiastically performed a job well done as assistant coach. He didn’t grumble or complain but took pride in the job he was given. After a couple years of standing on the sidelines - his coach finally gave him a chance to play in the game. This wasn’t any game... it was the LAST game of the entire season. He went out onto court, took the ball, and made a shot. He missed. He took a second shot, he missed again. He took a third shot, and scored a Three-Pointer. The crowd went wild. The remainder of the game he went on to score another Three-Pointer SIX MORE TIMES for a total of 20 points for his team!!! He said that at that moment he just “caught fire”.

As I watched the crowd go wild for him, standing up and cheering loud & proud; tears welled up in my eyes. How many times do we play the game of life with that same enthusiasm this boy Jason had? How many times do we make excuses for our handicaps and grumble over the lot in life we’ve been given? How many times do we complete a task half heartedly while expecting abundance in return?

I put myself in Jason’s shoes as he walked out on court to take that first shot in a live game - the last game of the season - and I cringed at the thought of missing that shot and letting my team down. What would you have done at that moment? I can only imagine my embarrassment... giving into defeat and throwing my hands up in the air. The thoughts that would be playing in my mind would say, “this is why I should’ve kept to my day job and not tried to step into my dream... I’m not meant for this.” Certainly I wouldn’t have had the guts to take a 2nd shot in fear of setting my team even further behind. But Jason took that 2nd shot. When he missed it... he continued on. He didn’t step back, he didn’t fall to his knees in tears of defeat, he caught fire. He took that 3rd shot and tasted victory.

This true story of an autistic boy provides us 5 Tips to Success that we can all learn from:

1.) Whatever your task, do it ENTHUSIASTICALLY.

Don’t grumble and don’t be a quitter. God has a purpose for your life and His timing is always perfect. He is the Master at using ALL things to His glory - He will use even this season in your life for good.

2.) When it’s your time to suit up, play it like a pro.

Don’t doubt whether the timing is right or whether your cut out to be a team player. If your standing on the court and the ball is in your hands, it’s time to play the game.

3.) When you miss the shot, catch fire.

Don’t talk yourself out of the spotlight, don’t doubt your abilities, don’t give up. Keep taking shots because it just might be the third one that makes you somebody's hero. Your victory will come if you just keep going.

4.) When the roles are reversed and YOU are the coach, breathe belief into “Jasons” life.

Look beyond his handicap and believe in the impossible. No matter how many failed shots he might take, don’t take him out of the game. You can have a direct impact on his or her self esteem. You can change her life. You can be the person who breaths life to her dream.

5.) Each shot you make, the crowd goes a little bit crazier.

Your life becomes an inspirational clip on youtube. Your victory goes beyond scoring points for the team, but trickles belief into the lives of the crowd around you. You become someone’s hero as they are inspired to suit up for their own game and pass it on to the next crowd. You become the poster child for “With God, All Things Are Possible”.

Let the moral of the story be: “Play life to win. Catch fire. Be enthusiastic.”

If my life was a sheet of music

Tonight was a great night. I had a mix of emotions racing through my heart and so I did what I always do when that happens. I went straight to my piano; that faithful piano that is always there for me when I need to express wordless thoughts & feelings. The piano has become my personal "Translator" that takes my ideas and emotions and composes them into a song. Tonight I sat there and pressed my fingers into the ivory keys. The more I played, the more awkward it sounded & the more frustrated I became. I felt like a foreigner who couldn’t speak english. The thoughts I was thinking in one language was being spoken in another when I went to play the notes. It’s a frustrating feeling to know what you want but not be able to articulate it. In an attempt to unchain the bottled up emotions I had; I reverted to playing the melody that my fingers had already memorized. I played Fur Elise. I do love that song... but when it seems to be the only song I know how to play, it can become quite frustrating. My fingers want to venture to new keys and play new chords and new combinations of notes. My heart wants to sing a song that my fingers can’t seem to articulate; because it’s untrained. And so it is on nights like these... I sit at the same piano, my fingers dance on the same keys, and in repetitious fashion I play the same Fur Elise.

There’s an interesting parallel to this story and to our day to day lives. It dawned on me that just like my feeble attempts to play a song I’ve never learned; I do the same thing with my big lofty dreams. I get caught up in a dream for my future; my adrenaline kicks in - a flood of emotions takes me over - and I start awkwardly pouncing on the keys of my life to make it happen. Often times our dream requires an action in unchartered waters and so the attempts we make at reaching that dream, turn into a horrible awkward note. We get frustrated that our life isn’t playing out the way we envisioned it in our minds. And so we go back to the same familiar song we’ve played many times over, that has now become a repetitious robotic attempt at living.

As long as I keep reverting back to the familiar Fur Elise that is comfortable & memorized... I will never be able to play Rachmaninoff. My musical abilities will always be stunted if I never accept the fact that I must teach myself new skills. I must learn how to read the sheet of music that lays before me. I must play THOSE same notes over and over again until it becomes a new memory for my fingers. I must keep playing those same difficult chords over and over again until my song of awkward notes turns into a beautiful music. Before I can indulge in experiencing the single spotlight on me and my piano... before I can play my dream of a melody for the audience to applaude... I must become a student first. I must learn from the ones who have already mastered the skills. I must experience the journey before I can arrive at the destination.

Are you stuck playing the same old song because your afraid to venture to a new sheet of music? Are you frustrated with yourself because deep down inside you have a dream that you want to see played out - but your unwilling to learn the notes?

Your life can be a beautiful song with many triumphant crescendos... but you have got to be willing to take the time to sit & learn the notes. Your dreams are knocking loud on the doors of your heart; don’t allow your fears to keep them locked away. Don’t be unwilling to play the part of a student. To become a master at anything, you’ve got to become a student of everything. Today is the day to compose your music score. What will the orchestra of your life play? Mine will be the song of Triumph & Victory!

Ephesians 5:19 "Then you will sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, making music to the Lord in your hearts.