I stood on the sidelines of the asphalt court, baked by the hot summer sun. The volley of balls back and forth across the net mesmerized me. I ran to collect scattered balls and threw them back to my mom when she signaled for one. The release of the ball at the right time accounted for a perfect serve. Feet placed just so kept your body in the correct position to receive the ball when it sailed across the net. My desire was to learn how to play tennis like my mom.
My mom displayed such self-control when playing tennis. Patience in the waiting, and the willingness to release her body to the place where the ball would land, allowed her to become a great tennis player. And I learned a beautiful lesson of releasing control at just the right time while watching my mom play: life is easier when we don’t hold on so tightly that we cannot let go of what God is more than willing to carry. So if tennis is a metaphor for life, how do we release our knuckle-tight grip on our past, present, and future? Doesn’t God promise to love, provide, and walk with us no matter what?
Life is filled with seasons of waiting. Periods of time where we learn to release the mess and posture our hearts toward God. Times when we lack control. But in that season, where nothing seems to be happening, God is preparing us in ways we don’t see. Hope becomes our mantra in the tension, and God is where our eyes try to focus. His Word calls us to wait with our whole being: “I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope” (Ps. 130:5. NIV).
If the game of tennis is waiting for the perfect time and posture to successfully hit the ball, then life mirrors this in our seasons of waiting. It’s knowing it’s okay when the ball doesn’t make it back across the net. It's holding on to the hope of God when life looks nothing like we imagined. May hope become your mantra and God the focus of your heart as you posture yourself toward Him to set yourself up for His beautiful plan.
Mary Geisen
Mary Geisen is a lover of coffee and deep, soul-filled conversations. She is the mom of two married sons, a retired teacher, writer, author and seeker of grace in the ordinary. Several years ago, God called her to bravely step out by sharing her journey in written form. The power of God’s words has inspired her journey of healing and drawing closer to God through the power of grace. She continues to walk toward brave faith in her everyday life and encourages others to do the same.
