valuable life lesson...

Life lessons... those school moments for the heart that sometimes come in as a whisper and sometimes as a storm... appear every single day.  The question becomes... will we learn from them or let them pass us by?


Yesterday, we had a great life lesson present itself to all of us.  Honestly, at first, I thought the lesson was just for my son.  I found it, read it, and bookmarked it.  My thought... "I can't wait until after practice for Eric, he needs to read this!"  Later, I watched Emme have her first starting position in volleyball and thought "Em will be reading tonight too!"


After football practice and volleyball games, we came home and gathered round to read.  They each read the story of an incredible young football player who, in the face of adversity, didn't give up.  Not only did he not give up, he chose to make a difference... he chose to lead by example.  In the end, his team still lost the game.  However, he led them down the field to score one touchdown before the end of the game.  


The best part of the story... we know this kid.  We have known and loved him all of his fourteen and a half years.  He's Eric's best friend and twin cousin.  To Emme and Ellen, he's the cousin who plays great games on the trampoline.  To Chad and I, he's part of our family.  He's quiet.  He's gentle.  And, he's amazingly talented.  


Last night, I read the story to Chad and we both smiled.  Chad said "Way to go Drew!"  And then, "Eric could learn a lot from him."  


This morning, I realized Eric isn't the only one who could learn a lot from Drew.  This is my lesson too.  I tend to lose my confidence when the going gets hard, especially when I'm losing.  It's hard to be the one who maintains the quiet confidence.  It's hard to be the one who will fight hard until the clock runs out.   It's hard to be the one who leads by example.  


Lately, there is much I have wanted to give up on.  The going has been hard.  I've been losing and the score has been about 0-50.  I've wanted to give up... to take my ball and go home.  


At 42, I still have much to learn in life.  Last night, I learned a valuable life lesson from a 14 year old.  I only wish we could have been there to see him in action!