Come to Me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28
I knew the outcome…I thought. The list of the things I enjoyed while serving in the Air Force is long and varied. Somehow, which I’m sure God arranged, I was assigned to work in the command section at all my duty assignments. It all started when a guy named Master Sergeant Johnson picked me up at the small airport in Minot, North Dakota and casually said, “I think I’m going to let you work for me.” He worked in the command section of the Combat Support Group and so it began. Each new duty assignment found me working for the commanders and first sergeants of each unit. It was awesome. So many of those leaders left their fingerprints on my life and help mold me in the person I am today.
1973 found me assigned to the command section of one of aircraft maintenance squadrons at Moody Air Force Base. My immediate supervisor, the first sergeant and even the commander became friends of sorts—within the parameters of military protocol. All that leads to the point of this story. After joining the service, I learned to play racquetball and loved it. I suppose I was even pretty good at it. Well, my commander, Major Hobbs, also played. Normally, our path probably wouldn’t have crossed at the gym, but this young buck airman kept egging this 20 year my senior, slightly overweight, Major… to play him in racquetball. I assured him that I could take him and then one day, he said, “Ok.”
He told me to get a court time and I did. Now everything assured me that this was going to be a no match…and it was…but not like I thought. On the appointed day and at the appointed time we met to do battle. I was sure I was going to show my commander what a real racquetball player looked like. I served first and I may have made a couple of points. Then, it was his turn, and that is when I began to learn that the race doesn’t always go the swiftest…or the youngest. Major Hobbs would serve and then move to the center of the court and proceeded to beat me like an unwanted tom cat. He virtually didn’t move because he didn’t need to. He totally mastered the ball with his racket and put the ball, almost every time, wherever I wasn’t
Well, a set (win) in racquetball, is three games…if needed. We didn’t need them. He finished me off in two games. One player left the court drenched in sweat and exhausted and one left the court without a drop. One player left the court dragging and exhausted while the other left with a strange bounce in their step. You can probably guess which was which. The young buck airman was taught a good lesson that day and it is one that I still remember today. It is not always about how light on your feet and how fast you can move. Sometimes it is about strategy…how you play the game.
And so, it is with life. A wise man, woman or child will know that you need to have a plan, a strategy if you will, if you are going to win the game of life. And the crazy part is the best strategy doesn’t depend on talent, wealth, or opportunity. It leans, it is driven by – a close relationship with Creator God. Now don’t miss that. Religion is nice, church is a great idea, but neither are the answer—a personal relationship with God through faith in His Son and the wisdom and guidance of the Holy Spirit is. It is a power team of three and yet One. Amazing. With Him calling the shots, well, life just goes better…a lot better. Jesus invites us to come and do life with Him…and that is an invitation we need to accept.
That day, we left the court differently but there was one thing we shared…a smile. The older, wiser Major smiled because he had helped a prideful, young airman learn a lesson in humility. A lesson, honestly, he needed. And the airman, well, he smiled too because someone wiser than him took the time to teach. God really does want to help us do life and honestly, we need Him. Don’t be pushed away by all the hype in religion. Go ahead and schedule some court time with God and you just might discover how much He loves you and wants to help. You might discover that no matter what…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne
Grits with Grace 