Saturday morning rolled around and I put on my husband's sports tights, my t-shirt and I was so ready to get to the gym. I invited my family and friends to be on my personal cheerleading squad.
As we get teamed up at the gym, I was so psyched that it didn't matter that the team vests that we were given were youth sizes and looked like a tube top on me. I was ready, on fire, ready to drop some buckets! That was until the game started………………………..
The 1st quarter started and the coach told me to get ready. I told him I needed more time, I wasn’t ready just yet. Clearly the coach, who happened to be my husband, was sooooo irritated. I had spent all night telling him how I was going to be a beast, and NOW I needed more time. Ok second quarter and I am getting amped up. I’m talking to myself, drowning out the voices in my head. It’s time to send in a sub and I’m about to unleash the hulk. The coach calls my name and I stand up, walk over to him and say, "I just need a few more minutes”. Truth is, last time I played ball at 8 years old, I had shot the ball into the wrong goal and I was still terrified that I would do it again 25 years later.
So the game went on. I talked to the Lord, talked myself and anyone else that would talk to me. This was very few because all the other parents were annoyed that I hadn’t hit the court yet. Ok......4 minutes left in the game and I AM IN! I get the ball in my hand, terrified, I get in my stance, release and in the basket it goes!!! Yes, yes, yes!!! No cheers, complete silence? I look up to see what's going on and I was at the wrong goal again!!!! I was humiliated, devastated and so embarrassed. My next thought, “I have humiliated my babies. My boys won't live this down”.
Game over! Amen! My son comes up and says "great shot mom, wrong goal but nice shot". My heart was overwhelmed with thankfulness that he still loved me and called me mom. He had not shrunk under my failure.
It was my determination to play in another game and redeem myself. Low and behold I played this past Saturday at the boy's Hoop It Up Birthday Celebration. I played the best five minutes ever!!!! Shot the ball at the right goal, not even close, didn’t event touch the rim or the next. Missed the goal completely, but it was the right goal.
I talked to my son about my performance in the game tonight and he told me, “you couldn't quit just because of the last game, you did good mom”. What a valuable life lesson my failure was for him. On the court or off, never let the fear of failure stop you!
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