SO BE IT

We have had a rugby league tipping comp running in our family for over 25 years. It’s a good way for us to show our footy knowledge and get a win over each other. You don’t even have to know too much about footy. My late wife Vivienne didn’t know anything about footy but actually won one year (which she constantly reminded me of 😃).

But our family has found a better footy comp than tipping. For the last 5 years we have been playing fantasy football. We play the draft version where you pick a team (no one can have the same player) and you play your team against a different family member’s (or friends) team each week. Players score points for every tackle, try and try assist etc. Your team wins if your players score more points than the players on the team you are playing against that week.

It requires a fair degree of footy knowledge and skill as you have to know the players from every team, their positions and follow their fortunes. Plus you have to take into account injuries, byes and suspensions.  In essence you have to predict who is going to play well that weekend (and into the future).

What’s not to like about a competition where you get to manage your very own footy team and play/hopefully smash your family and friends on a weekly basis!

This year I was riding high, leading the comp through the first round of matches but over the last few weeks my team has fallen away alarmingly. Just different things (mostly bad) happening to my team. And decisions I have made to refresh the team haven’t exactly paid dividends. I have been racking my brain about how I can address this freefall but have not come up with any real answers.

I can think about it when I wake up, when I go on my bike rides, when I hang out the washing, even sometimes when I am talking with my wonderful wife Ros. She spotted me the other day, asking why my eyes were glazing over. I paused for a second, pondering the correct answer – whether to trade Tommy Turbo now he is injured again. But ever sharp and on the ball, I replied; Because your smile dazzles me, it’s so beautiful.

She took a moment, narrowed her eyes and tilted her head forward and pronounced; You were thinking about your fantasy footy team again, weren’t you? Sprung. Ah, well, possibly; I spluttered. She is very perceptive.

Obviously there are much more important issues and trials people face then their fantasy footy team freefalling in the family comp, but I was getting stressed about it. I was spending too much time thinking about it, worrying about it. I prayed about it and felt God telling me not to stress about it, not to worry about it, it’s in his hands. If my team loses – so be it. If I lose valuable footy cred with my family and friends – so be it.

In the gospel of Luke Chapter 11 Jesus shows his disciples how to pray. He gives them the Lord’s Prayer. He tells them to be bold in prayer. At verses 9-10 he says; Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you shall find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Jesus then tells his disciples how much God loves us, much more than human love. That he can’t wait to bless us with his Holy Spirit.

Jesus though is not talking about a name and claim gospel. It’s not a magic formula. We can’t ask for anything our hearts’ desire and expect everything.

There is a component of God’s will being done. When Jesus was about to be handed over to the authorities to be crucified, he prayed hard, even sweating blood. In Mark 14:36 Jesus prayed; Abba father (dad) everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.

When we pray God wants us to be bold but also I think some acknowledgement that our prayers may not be answered in the way we want them to be. That God is in control – so be it.

Christian writer Whitney Kuniholm puts it this way; God loves us and knows what is truly best. Our mistake is we want to tell him what good gift he must give us. Sometimes we need to let go of what we think is the best solution to our problems and pray for an acceptance of his will, whatever that may be.

Jesus says to knock and the door will be opened, ask and it will be given to you. To be bold in prayer. Gotta love the Christian t-shirt showing a man in jeans with holes in both knees. The caption reads; PRAY HARD.

God loves us and wants what is best for us. But sometimes we don’t get the answers to prayer we are seeking. In those times remember it is his ultimately his will that we want. His glory. Being in his will brings glory to God.

So in those times be comforted.

Trust him – so be it.

Go with God.

Peter O’Sullivan