"And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying Abba, Father!"
Galatians 4:6
It was one of the best games I had ever seen. The game had gone back and forth with both teams leading and was now deadlocked at 38 with 10 seconds to play. Their guard dribbled down and took a shot that bounced off of the front of the rim. We had two kids in position to get the rebound, but they had a player that was a full head taller than anyone on our team. He tapped it back in and they led 40-38. We called a quick time out but the referee only gave us 0.6 on the clock. Our coach explained the play he wanted (nothing more than a heave down the floor and hope for a quick turn and shoot) and sent them out. Honestly, I didn't think we would even get a shot off. The fact that my son somehow caught and shot was nothing short of a miracle. The whole place seemed to hold its breath. The scene was right out of a movie. The ball was on target and seemed to stay in the air for 30 seconds instead of 0.6. Then it happened. The ball dropped just short of the goal. I could see it in my sons eyes. He was holding back tears and to be truthful I wanted to cry for him. He had given everything he had - only to fall short.
We talked on the way home about what a great game it was and how they had given everything as a team. After he had showered he walked in to the living room and sat down next to me. Being 11, he is at that stage where it is not always cool to hug your parents. So what happened next really surprised me. He leaned over and put his head on my shoulder. I could tell he was still struggling (he is ultra-competitive). I just slipped my arm up and put it around him. I told him that I loved him and was just as proud of him as I would be if he had made the shot. I wanted to assure him that my love was not conditional. It was always the same no matter what the circumstance. He would always be my son. I would always be proud.
What occurred to me during this moment was the beauty of the gospel that I fear we miss many times. Every single day we miss "shots" in life. In spite of our best efforts we come up a few inches short. If we were to be honest, we would have to say that we miss more than we connect. The good news is that God is there to put his arms around us. His love is not based on our performance (although we typically live that way). When we miss this great truth we live enslaved to the "shot." If we make it, God loves me and is proud of me. If we miss it then we are no longer worthy to be called children. This kind of a view of God is nowhere close to Scripture or the gospel message. Our Father's love is unconditional. He is there to wrap his arms around us when we fail (which is often right??) God reminds us that we are ALWAYS his children. How many shots have you missed today? Maybe you need to just sit on the Father's lap for a few moments and rest in the relentless love He has for you as His child.
