The Team

As I'm typing this I'm watching the last event of the 2010 Winter Olympics; USA vs CAN in ice-hockey. This game has gotten very intense here the last few minutes.

To be honest, I have never been much of an Olympic watcher. I don't know why, call me UN-American or UN-Supportive or whatever...but it's just never been something I've ever looked forward to watching.

Until this year.

When I heard a news caster recapping an event and calling one of the skiers "old" and she's thirty-two...I gasped! What? When did being thirty-two mean being old? I mean, hello, I am a woman dawning on those years. They then painstakingly announced that this was her last shot and she blew it!

After I heard that, I became a bit more captured by the hearts and souls of those giving it their absolute best...for the last time. I felt what they felt. I cried with those who cried as they wiped out on the last leg of their races. I rejoiced with those who rejoiced as they blind-sided everyone. And I've gasped with everyone at some of these judge's calls that have cost some the most important medal of their lives!

To be quite honest though, it's been tough to watch some of these award ceremony's. And just as I'm writing this, USA has lost...by just one..one goal. Ouch. The faces of each of those men standing there awaiting their silver medal is a little sour. It's almost like they don't even want it! Wow.

When I was in high-school I was on the tennis team. And while I should clarify...I was barely on that tennis team. I was like the second to last in order on the team. Just so you know. {wink}

I loved wearing that white skirt and tank-top that said: Independence TENNIS. And I loved that one of our coaches would always backfire our very outdated school van at any and every stop-light just to announce our presence! Nothing says classy tennis girls like a gun-shot sound and black smoke filling the air.

I stunk at tennis, I knew that. But it was fun. And I loved it.

When the end of our season rolled around our coach had us all over to her house. She had gotten pizza and we were just hanging out...as a team. She then told us that she wanted to go ahead and give us the awards that she had for us. I began to get a little nervous because what kind of award would I get?

Most likely to lose? or MWP (most worst player)?

Oh gosh. This couldn't be good.

When my name was called, I'm quite sure I turned as red as a fire engine as I walked forward. My stomach was in knots. I prayed silently asking God to not let this become the most embarrassing moment of my life.

My coach came over to me and presented me with this award:

Nicki: Most likely to love being on the team

I took a deep sigh of relief and tears filled my eyes. Because if ever there was an award that was so fitting...it was that. I loved being apart of that team.

To this day, that was one of the greatest moments of my life.

Because I remembered that it wasn't about being the best, it wasn't about the most match's won or how many times my name was in the paper. It was just about being on the team.

It was a great lesson to learn at the tender age of seventeen years old. One that changed the view of everything I've been apart of since.

The greatest honor we will ever hold is being on: Team Jesus. But I think we lose sight of it all to easily. We forget to cheer on the girl beside of us or in front of us. We forget how we are all doing this thing called "life" together. And just like the USA team, our faces can turn a little sour when it seems like someone has beaten us.

May we never forget or lose sight that gold is in all of our destiny's. Streets of gold that is. And on that day we all win because it's all...about Him.

And I hope my first words will be, "Jesus, I just loved being on the team." Because I really do. I love being on the team.