Rookies

It is basketball season again.  English and American football seasons are in full swing.  There is one thing consistent across every game.  Rookies play with the style and attitude which brought them to the level they are now at.  Veterans know they will change.  Right now they cannot hear, see, or feel the difference.  These young and upcoming stars are on a glory ride and they know exactly what has brought them to their current moment in the lights.
 
For each there are special moments when the lights come on.  We see ourselves, the progress we have made, how we understood success, and even the great moves we believe will keep us in the limelight in the context of something even greater.  In basketball this enlightenment comes through the veterans.  These are the best of the best.  Even among these stars there are a few who are one or two significant steps beyond everyone’s reach.  There is no question that they are talented.  There are no doubts of their abilities.  Yet the greatest heroes transcend this analysis.  This is what the rookies do not understand!  They haven’t realized working hard is extremely important.  They have yet to appreciate how humbleness forms a key part of being at the top.  Even the value of recognizing those around you for their talents escapes most.
 
I find myself sitting and reflecting on my coaching analysis, discovering the crisp reality of my own standing with Divinity.  I am a rookie!  Each time I arrive I discover there is even more.  In the purest of moments I find myself reacting life people have done across the ages.  “On that Day men and women will take the sticks and stones they've decked out in gold and silver to look like gods and then worshiped, and they will dump them in any ditch or gully.” (Isaiah 2.20)  I want the real stuff!  I cannot, will not rely on what has gotten me here because I have the opportunity for more, a lot more.  We all do.  Divinity is ready for us.  Are we?