“No doubt about it! God is good – good to good people, good to the good-hearted. But I nearly missed it, missed seeing his goodness.” Psalm 73.1,2
We set out to play an inter-office softball game, labeling it as a “friendly”. A review of the rules affirmed common ground and the approach to the game. In hindsight, I should have confirmed their understanding of the baseball terms and their meanings. I also should have validated how we would communicate in the unlikely event of a misunderstanding. I always assumed people who were going to play softball or baseball understood the fundamental rules of the game. Little things like fly balls and when you can run, or force-outs vs. tagging the runner.
The game got underway in high spirits. In the bottom of the first inning, things began to go “pear-shaped” (English slang for bad). As two of us began to explain rules, the opposition responded with arguments of logic or accusations of changing the rules. At the last moment, as the tempers rose, Piero and I remembered the point of the game, “have fun”. We explained, but did not press. We exercised patience, even after the fourth and fifth attempt to be consistent. We lost graciously because we knew it was more important to have fun than to win.
I pursuing God I keep forgetting what is important. I want to rationalize my self-centered desires and wrap them up in a blanket of goodness. I explain the deep and complex logic to God, hoping his Spirit will affirm my selfish aims. I accuse God of being unfair or not caring, as I blind myself to the mountain of evidence all around me that confirms His love and involvement. I look away and to myself, forgetting where true sight comes from.
God acts with consistency in all aspects of my life and yours. He loves us with every fiber of his being and spends his time trying to help us see this fact. Unconditional acceptance, love, and a deep sense of personal involvement are cornerstones of God.
See?
