Soccer and Sacrifice

Sweat streams down my face as I try once again to steal the ball. “this is hopeless...” the thought streams through my head as I watch the ball go flying into the goal. 

Soccer is not my sport. 

Unfortunately for me, it's the common sport of most of the world, including Egypt. 

On Tuesday we had the privilege to play soccer with some teens and men at a boys orphanage. 

The field was about a third of the size of a real soccer field and all the boys play everyday, so for someone who never plays soccer it was a bit of a challenge. But a total reminder of why I am here. 

I'm not here to look good or even make a good impression; I'm here to love the people. Sometimes loving someone means doing the thing that they love, even if you don't like it.

 For me playing soccer is like that. Don't get me wrong, I like playing sports, but being a tad competitive, its tough to be totally outplayed and miserably outmatched. 

So the question always comes down to, am I willing to lay down my rights? Am I willing to sacrifice a small part of my reputation, image, and dignity in order to really take the time to love people? 

The fact is, this world isn't about me. Shocking I know, but how often do I really make it about me. I don't feel like looking like a fool so I won't do it. I don't want to spend the energy so I'll just sit back a let someone else do it. Its comfortable and totally selfish. 

Love=Sacrifice

Until we take the time to sacrifice and serve we will never be able to truly love people. God, who is love, came to earth as a sacrifice for us and as a servant (Mark 10:45), not because he needed to do it to love but because we needed it to know how to love, to know what love really is.