Capture the Flag

Last week, I did the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life: I attempted to coach a handful of fifth grade boys in flag football. By the fifth grade, most kids are starting to play tackle, and if you are playing flag football, you most likely won’t be going to Alabama on a scholarship. The NFL is probably not in your future. However, a local recreation league was desperate for coaches and my son was desperate to play some form of football, so I made the ill-fated decision to coach. Given the last-minute nature of my appointment, our first real team huddle was about 10 minutes before our first game was to start. As I tried to make sure the kids were simply wearing the flags the right way (or at all) I noticed the other team had a folder…full of actual plays…that the boys knew. We were in trouble.

While the other team lined up in intentional formations, my team lined up to fight over who got to be QB1. While the other team intercepted every single pass, my team interrupted me to tell me whose fault it was. By half-time, I was desperately hoping for some type of “Bad News Bears/Mighty Ducks” miraculous rally, but all my players just wanted to know which among them would be the next Joe Montana in the second half of the game.

After our shellacking was complete, I tried to encourage the boys by suggesting we had nowhere to go but up, but even I wasn’t sure I believed it. As I slouched off the field, I couldn’t help but think about how many times in life and leadership I throw myself and others into situations without the right preparation. While it’s usually well-intentioned, the outcome is always the same.

We need to take the time to not only figure out our own plans but figure out each other's gifts and why we are truly there; otherwise, we can almost guarantee failure, frustration, and a fixation of everyone’s personal needs or agenda. Whether it’s on the field, in our homes, or even in our parishes, any talent God may have given us individually won’t mean much if we don’t understand the importance of using it together. Jesus could’ve sent the apostles out one by one. He didn’t need 12 apostles. He chose them not just for scale, but to learn to depend on each other, so they could learn better to depend on Him.

I decided that before we were going to learn any plays as a football team, we had better learn names in our next practice. As we begin this new week, let’s ask the Lord to show us who He’s putting on the field of our life to depend on and to work with to build His Kingdom.