Three games to go. Time to practice?

It is difficult to believe there are just three more curling games left in my season.  Although we aren’t going to make it to the finals this year, it has been one of my most successful seasons for scoring points.  Unfortunately, many of those points were for my competitor.  Three weeks ago I made a brilliant, Brier-worthy double-raised takeout . . . of my own stones.  Two weeks ago, I managed a beautiful, soft tap-up of my opponent’s stone (to score his game winning point).  This past week, I helped out by creating a guard, making it almost impossible for us to find a path to score.  Obviously, none of this was my intention.  In each circumstance, I was trying to accomplish something different than the actual outcome.  It didn’t happen as intended.

It is easy to come up with a myriad of explanations (excuses) for this kind of game play.  The relative temperature and humidity of the rink, the sweepers being tired, the running surface of the stones, the pebble being worn down, and on and on it goes.  But let’s be honest;  there is one key reason why the shots I make in my head are not made on the ice: practice.  I don’t do a lot of it.

Without the discipline of repetition, adjustment, and correction, it is extremely difficult to master the skills necessary to make critical shots.  Sometimes you get lucky and it “just happens” (usually not as expected, but a “Plan B deflection” off another stone can bring a desirable result).  Skilled shot-making requires a commitment to practice.

As the Reader’s Digest would say, “Life’s Like That.”  As Solomon would say, “Wisdom’s like that.”  Becoming skilled in responding to life’s surprises, to its joys and blessings, to its losses and pains, and to our own mistakes is a skill-set we acquire.  None of us are inherently or intuitively adept at life.  We learn through repetition, adjustment, and correction.  We learn of the truths of God’s nature and character, of His grace and forgiveness, of His holiness and mercy.  We learn of His engagement in every detail of our lives.  We learn to be confident in Him regardless of what our circumstances may be.  It doesn’t happen naturally, or easily, or without being intentional.

To a certain extent, these skills are caught in the natural process of day-to-day life.  However, a passive approach is limited.  We must “go to the rink” to get the practice we need.  It is helpful to have a coach.  That’s why faith is lived in community.  Gathering as a body on a regular basis is like going to the rink.  It is important we share our faith stories and experiences with one another.  We need to see and hear of the grace and faithfulness of God in our own time and place.  We also need deliberate coaching/learning from the Scriptures that give us understanding of what would otherwise be unknowable - what God has told us about Himself.

Being wise is not the same as being compliant to a set of rules.  Life is too abstract and dynamic to allow for that.  No two curling games play out in the same way.  No two days-in-the-life-of-us plays out identically.  But there are common denominators that can serve us.  We know, for example, that the good guys don’t always win.  We know the unrighteous often prosper.  We know that life can be dreary and overwhelming - and for some, always in an ever-increasing downward spiral of despair.  Life is hard.  The world is broken.

We can also know - if we apply ourselves to the process of learning - that God’s goodness is not defined by our perception of circumstances.  We know that every day is a fresh start with God.  We know He is quick to forgive and slow to anger.  We know His grace is infinitely more bountiful than any challenge life may throw at us.  Since we know these things to be true, we know we can also have the skills necessary to respond, to reframe our perspective, and to have a source of hope on which we can centre our hearts and minds.

What does this look like?

There is only so much that can be learnt and refined in a once-a-week curling game or once-a-week gathering.  Fortunately, the “practice rink” is always available to us.  Conversations about faith, learning through books and videos (with the appropriate discernment), taking meaningful times to be alone with God through prayer and journaling and singing (even if it is just in the shower) or reading/memorizing Scripture are all “drills” we can use to enhance our faith skill-set.

In all of this, we must also remember that “growing in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ” is ultimately a spiritual process and the Holy Spirit has promised us that He will do that good work in us.  The goal is not perfection.  Our shared commitment is to representing Christ well with a living confidence in our Creator whether we live in times of adversity or prosperity.