Tennis!?! Really!?!

     I've compared life to so many things before: puzzle pieces, landscapes, musical orchestras. And yet here I go again. This time comparing my life to...a tennis court. Yep, that's right. A tennis court. Confused? Then read on, I'll explain what I mean.

     In tennis, one player will serve, and the other player must return the shot. Once the shot has been returned, this action becomes what's known as a "volley." The volley continues until one player fails to return the shot, at which point the other player gets to serve for another volley. There are always three players on life's court though: you, the person you're interacting with, and God. Sometimes one player is too weak to continue, or is on the wrong side of the court to return the shot, but God jumps in and hits it for them. As well, just like a tennis volley doesn't always have the same speed for each return hit, so too life's returns aren't always spaced the same. Finally...sometimes the volley ends, and it's time for a re-serve, but those re-serves don't always happen at the same time, either.

     It's at this point that I find myself: a friend of mine and I had a good volley going. Each shot was returned well. At times the returns were faster or slower, harder and softer, straight and curved. But each shot was returned. And then the volley ended; God stepped in and called a time out. The game wasn't over, but it was time for a break. That break...became rather long, and I despaired of ever starting the game up again, when God came over, sat next to me, and let me know that the game would continue...I just had to be patient.

     Turns out that patience is about to pay off. The racquets are ready. The ball is in my hand, and it's my turn to serve. God told me when I'm supposed to serve but...the other player, well...they aren't on the other side of the court. But God said to serve. And He told me when. So I'm left with only one thing to do: wait. Wait until it's my time to serve and then serve that next volley as best I can, trusting that the other player will be back on the court in time to return the shot.

     I really don't know what's going to happen, but that's not for me to know. It's for me to trust God's plan. I do know when this next volley will be served: July 5th. So come July 5th, if you could be praying that God would give me wisdom in what to say and do, and that I would trust Him no matter what, I would greatly appreciate it. May God continue to lead you in the paths and plans He has for you so that you may become everything He wants you to be.