Thoughts from the Soccer Field

Last night we attended a soccer game. The varsity high school team my brother coaches made it to the region finals and the game was in town. Even though we had a prior engagement for dinner and knew we'd be running late, we went because between the house, pregnancy and bed rest, and newborn, I've yet to make it to one this season.

By the time we arrived it was the beginning of the second half and the score was tied. His team looked a little slow. At one point his team had the opportunity to score on a penalty kick which the goalie stopped. This fired the other team up. They came back down the field and, within minutes, scored.

My brother's team looked defeated and outplayed. Their opponents scored once more minutes before the buzzer and that was the end. “Well”, we thought, “the better team won.”

After the game the kids rushed the field to give Uncle Brian hugs and, well, to run around on the field. Upon talking to Brian, Nelson discovered that the first half of the game held an entirely different story. His team had scored two additional goals which had been wrongly taken back. It took the air out of them.

I was thinking about the whole game this morning and feeling a bit sad for my brother, who has worked many long hours with his team. Then God showed me something. My opinion of the game was formed after seeing only the second half. I made judgments about the skill of his players and come to conclusions that were almost entirely untrue.

Sometimes, in life I do the same thing. I meet people or run into situations and immediately judge. More times than not, I don't know the whole story. I didn't see the first half of the game.

It was a reminder to me that the only one who does know the whole story is God. My opinion would have been totally different if instead of forming it from the little part of the game I saw, I would have taken into account what might have occurred during the part of the game I missed.

And all this from half of a high school soccer game. I'm so glad I went.