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On a cold winter Monday evening a team of volunteers gathered to construct the goals, pump up the footballs and get ready for the start of a second Faith and Football season
. Within minutes, 32 children aged 7-11 years old descended on the venue and as 6.30pm arrived, the whistles blew and an hour of football matches started. Exactly one hour later, the whistles blew again and 12 matches had been completed successfully and everyone went home happy. At last we had started again after a long wait for a suitable floodlit venue, another opportunity to extend beyond our walls to the children and their families, serving our community with the generous love of Jesus Christ. We were delighted to be able to use West Hill Park School and their great facility and everyone had a brilliant time, even those who had been hit by a hard ball on a cold winter’s evening. If that has never happened to you – it hurts! Don’t try it!
What has struck me more than ever has been the incredible attitude of the children who turn up to play. We put them in teams with children they didn’t know – no arguing! Some of them were good and some of them not so good – no grumbling! It was very cold and there wasn’t a break – no grumbling! Even if they didn’t score a goal or win a match – no arguing! It was a lesson to everyone. All the children were focussed on what they were there for and they took part with excitement, passion, commitment and stickability.
What do children have to teach me, teach us? Jesus took a little child, stood them in front of the crowd and said, (Matthew 18:3-4)
"I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”
On cold Monday evenings at West Hill Park it is an easy place to grumble and argue, but it hasn’t happened. I can find lots of things to grumble and argue about, and I do, but I’ve been challenged that I need to become like a little child and live life with joy and hope and perseverance whatever the circumstances, whoever I’m playing the game with.
As we all seek to become more and more like Jesus, as we train to look more like Him to a world that needs to see Him more and more, as we run to win, we need to learn the lesson from the little child Jesus stood before the crowd and become a little more like them. Not childish – grumbling and arguing, but childlike with an eager desire to play the game and have a lot of fun in the life we have been given.
Paul writes to the Philippians – 2:14-16 (The Message)
Do everything readily and cheerfully—no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night,
I’m going to learn a lesson from the children on cold Monday evenings because then I’ll be obeying Jesus and be able to impact this world who’ll get a glimpse of the living God through my life. Will you join me?
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