Cutter's example.

My son Cutter had his first ever soccer game Tuesday night. He is playing indoor in a league with kindergarten age kids. After I have thought about his experience, talked with him about it, something about it made a connection with the class I am attending on Sunday mornings and a conversation I had with a very good friend Tuesday night.

What amazed me about Cutter Tuesday evening was he had never played a soccer game. He has never seen a soccer game. He had absolutely no experience with what he was doing. He just wants to play soccer. There are kids on his team and the other teams that have played at least one, maybe two seasons of soccer. They have a clue of what to do. The only thing Cutter had before the game was his sister Emily telling him what to do when he is on the field.

It made me think of the Christians in Acts. They were selling their possessions, sharing their lives with one another, sharing their 'things'. Why? Because they wanted something. They wanted something that they couldn't see. It was something that made them feel special, wanted, accepted. It took great faith to give up their stuff and step into something they had never really experienced. It was new. There was no blue print for it.

I think what if I was put into that situation. Asked to give up what you are secure in to get something else. To change your way of life. Change the way you view people, things, situations. There always has to be a first. To make a change, there has to be that first day of a new beginning. The act of faith it took for those first people in Acts is amazing to me.

As Cutter took the field he had the chance to watch the others play first. He got to see how it was suppose to be done. His first effort was really good. He got out there and ran as hard as he could. He pretty much shadowed the ball the entire first half. Where we were, he could not hear us. In a sense, he was out there trying to figure it out on his own. Just his observation of watching the others do it. In the second half, he got a number of touches on the ball. Ran with more of a purpose. Acted like he was really starting to understand what to do.

I just can't help but think the new Christians were really looking at the first group and thinking, they seem o-kay. It is still a huge leap of faith even seeing others doing well in the life you wish to have. It seems though that the decision might be easier to make if you can talk to someone who has made a similar choice. I get a mental picture of the Christians in Acts sharing their lives with each other, holding each other accountable, learning from each other and really being happy, feeling secure, confident.

Cutter was gaining experience literally by the minute, and you could see it happening. He started to gain in confidence. The more he relied on his sisters words, his quick past experience, he realized how and what to do. When the ball got kicked away from him, he just kept on running after it. It didn't shake his confidence. His experience had already taught him to keep on running, because eventually he would get to the ball.

Why is it we seem to lose that lesson as we get older? In my experience, when I let the spirit lead me (confidence), and trust in God (experience), everything works out. It may not go the way I thought it would, but the end result is always good. (I get the ball) But when I refuse to listen, try it on my own, I bomb out. I wish I had a faith like the first Christians. I wish I had a faith like my son. He went to play soccer and had no clue what to do. He went out there to do what his sister told him to do. He knew what she said, and believed her to be correct in her instruction. He walked away from his game saying, "I did good Dad." Not being arrogant, but confident.

The innocent lives of children. So much to be learned from them. One of these days I'll tell Cut what a great lesson he taught me. Now I have to gain that confidence and experience in God that tells me, "follow and listen to me." Later....