Playing Volleyball with God

I love playing volleyball. Admittedly I’m not very good it (some might even say I stink at it – I’m sure it’s only a lack of height issue – not lack of talent), but I love to play. Occasionally, we have front yard volleyball games with our friends. We should probably sell tickets because at the very least we are entertaining. I’m not saying everyone is bad, but I’m quite sure none of us will be getting a call from the US Olympic Committee.

However, there is one type of volleyball I’m actually pretty good at - playing Volleyball with God! Have you ever tried it? I’m guessing you have but just may not recognize it. Let me explain…

Many times when we say we’re turning our worries and concerns over to God, we really don’t. Instead, after we’ve verbally given them to God, somewhere in our tangled little mines we think he’s giving them back – like playing volleyball. You know… you hit the worry over the net to Him…. He hits it back to you…. You send it back to Him…. He sends it back to you… and on … and on … and on.

Human nature leads us to believe we need to be in charge and handle things ourselves. Consequently, God must play volleyball with our worries and concerns. But that is not the way it is with God. When you give something to God, He doesn’t play volleyball and hit back to you. Instead, He wants you to hit Him the home run ball, to KNOCK IT OUT OF THE PARK! God will catch it. How many times have you seen a fan catch a home run ball and throw it back on the field? Probably NEVER. So it is with God. Once you turn something over to Him, He doesn’t hit or throw it back. He hangs onto it tightly and handles it. The only way you ever get it back is if you take it from Him. He does allow us to do that - it’s called free will. But that is not what God wants for us, or from us. He wants us to knock it out of the park and let Him hold onto it tightly and take care of it.

Once we truly turn something to God, it is not ours to worry or fret about any longer. That doesn’t mean we can’t still pray about it, but the worrying and fretting - that part needs to be gone. It is in God’s hands. Whatever it troubling you today, hit it over to God; then leave it there and let Him take care of it. It’s truly what God wants you to do.

“Give all your worries to [God], because he cares about you.”
1 Peter 5:7 NCV

“Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you;
He will never let the righteous fall”
Psalm 55:22 NIV

My Prayer:
Lord, give me the strength and courage to give all of my worries and concerns to you and to leave them there. Teach me to trust that you can handle them much better than I can, and to remember that you really don’t play volleyball with my troubles. Thank you for caring about me and sustaining me day by day. Amen.