Meet in the Kitchen

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart."  -Jeremiah 29:13


It's no secret to those who know me that I am highly competitive.  I love sports, basketball especially, and in the ultimate, self-revolving world of my high school years, it was my priority in life.  My team was pretty decent, not perfect, but we won our conference championship and had a winning season. 

While on the court, I was aggressive, driven, and determined to win at all cost.  (I have a crooked nose, cracked tooth, extremely weak ankles and knees, and a still not fully functioning hamstring to prove it)  I was so focused, in fact, that everything else would disappear except for the game and two voices:  my coach and my dad. 

My dad is also highly competitive and loves sports.  Watching sports is the only time I've ever heard him yell at anyone or anything.  In fact, I have vivid memories of him red-faced in the crowd yelling at referees.

Now our small town loved basketball enough that often we had a packed gym.  (This was partially because the boys team that always followed our game was exceptional, but who really needs that information, right?)  Anyway, even in a packed gym, I could always pick out Dad's voice...sometimes yelling at the refs and sometimes encouraging our team...but I always heard him, even when there wasn't an open seat left in the gymnasium.  Isn't that amazing? 

Yet it was my time with Dad after the games that sticks out the most in my memory.  Following every game, you could find us sitting in the kitchen eating frozen pizza, cereal, or ice cream and rehashing every play...every moment.  When I was over-the-moon for scoring my career high 26 pts, we celebrated.  When I was angry because a foul called on me sent a gal to the free throw line to tie the game and they eventually beat us in overtime, he was there to reassure me that I did not, in fact,  touch her.  When my team lost the game to go to state my senior year and all our hopes and dreams were shattered...everything I had worked for day in and day out for four years let down...he was there to put his arms around me and tell me how proud he was of how I played.  I treasure those memories.

It was loving.  It was constant.  It was unconditional.  It was always there.

It was Christ-like.

Day-in and day-out we play the game with Jesus in the crowd.  He celebrates our successes and redeems us when we fail.  If we listen close enough, we can always hear his voice whisper above the noise...calming the storms that threaten to hold us down, encouraging us when we are tired and behind, celebrating our victories. 

However your game plays out, losses and successes, proud moments and days when you only feel defeat, take the time to meet him in the kitchen.  He loves to hear from you, discuss every play-every moment of your day.  He will come to your defense, reassure you when you doubt, and put his arms around you when your dreams are shattered.  Treasure your time with Jesus for he treasures his time with you.

He is loving.  He is constant.  He is unconditional.  He is always there.