Trusting in God isn’t always easy. I know from experience, although I can’t think of many experiences but this one:
It’s late summer of 2021. My friend (who has been played on my rec softball team for pretty much all 5 years that I’ve played) and I went to a softball tryout together to see if we could make a competitive U12 team. We did everything you would normally do at a softball tryout – hit, throw, field, get timed while running, wanna-be-pitchers pitch, and all the other stuff.
My friend’s dad drove us back to her house. He asked us how we felt we did. I told him I felt okay about my performance, but I could’ve done better.
We waited a week. No answer.
We waited another week. No answer.
As you can guess, I was anxiously waiting to know if I’d made the team or not. My brother had made his team (although my dad is the head coach of his team so….). And I love softball. Time was wasting. If I didn’t make the team, all the other team’s tryouts would probably be over. And, heck, I didn’t want to have nothing to do next summer and just sit and watch my sibling’s games. Not happening.
Finally, my friend texted me saying she had made the team. Heck yes, I was happy for her, but we hadn’t gotten a call or email yet.
After weeks and weeks of waiting, as we were loading up into the car to go to the movie theater to watch Jungle Cruise, my dad got a call. He went back inside.
We waited. I wasn’t sure if that was even the call that we had been waiting and waiting for; I just wanted to get to the theater.
A whole lot of minutes went by. Eventually my dad came back to the van.
“Was that the coach?” I asked, excited but nervous all at once.
My dad then explained that there has been a LOT of girls trying out, and only two teams, which meant only 24 girls would make it.
I wasn’t one of them.
When my friend found out, her dad called the coach and told him how great of a player I was. The coach said they must’ve missed something and offered me to practice with the team. Pfft! Who wants to practice but not play? Stupid offer in my opinion.
My friend and I were texting and she told me she would miss having me as a teammate. Ditto. Our texts went like:
Her: I am so surprised
Me: At what?
Her: That you didn’t make it I mean you are an awesome softball player
Me: Thanks.
Obviously, I was crushed (haha, you’ll see the joke later). My dad, being the awesome dad that he is, looked at other softball teams from around here. Slinger Storm, full. Germantown, full. Hartford, full.
A week or two later, another girl from my old softball team’s dad texted my dad saying they needed more girls for fall ball. Sure, why not, I thought.
So I joined the Rays, we lost some games, won some games, I had some really good pitching nights, some others that weren’t so great, I had a triple towards the end of our season…yeah, pretty typical fall ball.
But at one of my games, my mom was talking to my teammate’s mom. They were chatting and at one point the other mom brought up a U12 softball league that was still looking for players. Of course, that caught my mom’s attention. She asked her some questions about it and told my dad and me later that night. My dad looked into it, and I had a tryout with this one other girl. A little awkward, just you and one other girl with like five coaches watching your every move.
Again, just like the other tryout, I did decent but not as good as I wish I could’ve done.
Surprisingly, we got an email the next day. I HAD MADE THE TEAM.
I’m sure you could guess I was pretty pumped. I wouldn’t be sitting in the blazing sun watching my siblings play baseball/softball, I would be running in the blazing sun, watching the other team’s faces as I run the bases (may be exaggerating a bit, but you get my point).
I’m sure most of us, at one point, have wondered, Why? God, why didn’t I make the team? God, why did (loved one’s name) have to go? God, why did my best friend have to move away? God, (fill this part in)?
It’s not easy to trust in God. Sometimes it’s easy to wonder, does God really have a plan? Does He really know what He’s doing?
Well, the answer is YES. YES, God knows what He’s doing. YES, God has a plan.
Sure, some things happen that God doesn’t plan (family member gets sick, loved one dies, world-wide pandemic…). This world is imperfect. But when those things happen, God turns it into something good.
Take Bethany Hamilton, for example. At 13 years old, in 2003, she got bitten by a 14-foot tiger shark, while surfing with her best friend, lost her entire left arm, and lost 2/3rds of her blood. But did that stop her? Heck no – she had determination and perseverance and, just one month later, she was back on the board, going pro in 2007 and winning several surfing titles.
See? God used her suffering to inspire a LOT of people and so much more.
God has a plan. Even though it’s sometimes hard to trust in Him, He does. The Bible says so:
Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future.”
Romans 8:28 – And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
Proverbs 3:5 – Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean of your own understanding.
Joshua 1:9 – Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Isaiah 41:10 – Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
When I didn’t make that team, I had a lot of questions; why being in most of them. But God had a plan. I don’t know why he put me on the softball team I’m on instead of the other team. Maybe I’ll see this summer. Maybe next summer, or maybe in 10 summers. Whenever it is, I know God purposefully didn’t put me on that one team. Even though I don’t understand why, I know he has a good reason.
P.S. Still wondering about that joke? My new sb team is named Crush
Daily Challenge: Today, try to think of someone you know who may be going though a hard time. Give them a call or a text, and remind them that God has a plan.
Comment: When was a time where you had to trust God and know that he had a better plan? Or when was a time where you had to help remind a friend that God had a plan?
This is great ! Just texted a friend !! Hope it helps such an inspiration!
Also something I had to trust god with was I had a friend who’s aunt and uncle got into a car crash. They were hit by a drunk driver. Her aunt was doing better cus the car was hit on the other side. But her uncle got hit HARD. They didn’t think he would survive and if he did he would have brain damage. He was never going to walk or run again.
But three weeks after the accident he pulled through with minimal brain damage ! With time and recovery he would be able to talk , feed himself, and maybe even walk .
I thank god for his goodness towards my friends family !
That’s awesome!
Charity- what a great post!! And so needed.
I’ve seen God’s Hand in so many ways my whole life, guiding and directing. Proverbs 3 5 and 6 has been one of my life verses. As we trust in Him with all our heart and don’t lean on our own understanding, He truly does direct our paths into His perfect plan and way.