Drop it Back!

There are challenges to coaching any sport and sometimes particularly depending on the group you happen to be coaching. For several years I coached middle school boys soccer and my first season coaching the boys, of the many things I found difficult, one was trying to get them to understand that sometimes the best thing to do in a game was go backwards, not forward.

You see in soccer, much like basketball, one can pass the ball backwards. In fact there are many times in soccer were passing the ball backwards in the best thing to do. When a player passes the ball back to a player behind them, it is called a drop. If you have played soccer, then you are familiar with this term as you hear it on the soccer field all the time.

The challenge with my guys was trying to help them see that passing backwards was not always a bad thing. In their heads I am sure they are simply thinking, “The goal is in front of me. You only get points for getting the ball in the goal, thus the best play is always a play toward the goal.” Again, if you have ever played soccer, you immediately see the faulty logic in this way of thinking.

There are times when a player’s way to the goal is completely blocked. If he tries to go forward he will likely loose possession of the ball. In this case, the best play may be behind him. Rather than give the ball up to the other team he should just pass the ball backwards and get help from the rest of his team.

I have found this principle to be true in life as well. Not long after returning to France, Amanda and I decided that the best way forward for me in language was to take a step back. As many of you know, I have found learning the French language to be quite a challenge. Some of that challenge is just my personality and giftings and some of that challenge I have brought on myself by not being willing to use the French that I know.

Due to all that happened over the Christmas break, our family got back to France two weeks after the semester had started. I was already feeling behind at the end of the first semester, and by the time I got back to class this semester I felt completely lost. After a few days of class I talked with my teacher about all this. Amanda and I also meet with the director of the school, talked with our international director at CrossWorld, and prayed a lot. After much talking and praying we decided that the best option was for me to go back and to repeat the beginner class.

While our goal is to learn the French language and get to Senegal, like with soccer, it became clear the best way forward was to drop the ball back. No, in many ways this is not what we wanted. This means our time in France will be extended. Which, of course, means we will be even later getting to Senegal. It is also difficult for me to see all the people I came in with going forward while I feel like I am going backwards.
This is when I have to be reminded that what seems like backwards to me is not always backwards to God. There have been many steps along this journey to Africa that have seemed like steps backwards, but now looking back on them we are so thankful that God redirected our path or simply made us wait. I do not know all the reason God might have for causing us to linger in France, but what I do know is the sometimes the best way forward is to take a step back. I am also fully convinced that God is in control and He does not make mistakes. Amanda and I pray Proverbs 3:5-8 for our family over and over. We trust God is and will answer those prayers.

We are so thankful for all of your prayers. Please continue to pray that God will help us learn the French language. We got a call for one of our teammates in Senegal, and just talking on the phone with him reminded us of what is at stake. There are people who need hear the blessed message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. There are people who need be drawn into the worship of our great God because He is worthy of their worship. So your prayers for us to learn the language are not too simple or small. It is an important part of getting the gospel out to the people of Senegal and strengthening the church there.