The other night I got elbowed in the face in a basketball game. And it was a blessing.
I know that sounds weird, but let me explain.
3 or 4 years ago if I would’ve got elbowed in the face in a game, I would’ve jumped back up and gotten in the dude’s face with a vengeance. I wouldn’t have thrown a punch or anything (I’m not much of a fighter…at all), but I would’ve certainly laid into the dude verbally, even if it was an accident.
But the other night I got cole cocked in the face and my first thought, after checking to make sure I still had all my teeth, was, “It was an accident; he didn’t mean to do it.”
So why was getting jacked in the face a blessing?
Because when I thought about it later, it occurred to me that I didn’t even for an instance have a desire to retaliate or give the guy a verbal lashing. And by realizing that, I saw how far God has brought me over the last 3 years. It is a blessing to look back and see that God isn’t done with me – he hasn’t left me unchanged. There’s a story here of grace and redemption, and it reminds me that God isn’t finished with me yet.
Can there be a greater blessing than realizing God’s not done with you? I don’t think so.
Sometimes it’s hard to see how you’re growing from day to day. But moments like this, when it hurts and when it’s intense, show you the work God is doing to conform you to his image.
