Sometimes a challenge simply appears before us, tempting us to go for it.

There are lots of challenges in life – with many, we have no choice but to take them on. 

For instance, if you have a health challenge, there is nothing you can do to avoid it. You have to take it on as best as you can.

Work can provide challenges in the form of a goal or a milestone for you to reach. Those challenges often come with a great reward if you can accomplish them. 

But then there are challenges that, in many respects, are meaningless, provide no benefit to you if you succeed, but are satisfying just the same if you take on the challenge and beat it. 

This morning I was playing hockey and having a rather lacklustre game. 

I had been up really late the night before finishing some work, so though it was 7 am, I was really only operating on a few hours of sleep.

Twice I had breakaways and simply over-skated the puck – no pressure from anyone, no attempt at making some kind of move. I just over-skated the puck. 

I felt tired and had little energy on the ice. Maybe my focus was lacking as well. 

At the end of the game I had a puck and was going to fire it into the net but one of the guys moved the net out of the way for the Zamboni.  

I just wanted to take a couple of shots before getting off the ice, so I decided to just fire the puck against the boards. 

That’s when I looked up and saw my challenge.

My water bottle was sitting by itself, all lonely like on top of the boards by the players’ bench. What was I to do? I had a puck and no net to shoot on. Why not take the challenge staring me right in the face.

I looked at the bottle and took a wrist shot to knock it off. 

I missed … by about an inch.

That stirred the interest of two other guys still on the ice and soon they arrived with pucks and each took a shot. 

I took another shot a little high and wide.

We were going to do this until one of us knocked it off.

The other guys each took another shot.

And then I took a good look at the bottle and nailed it with a wrist shot. I knocked it clear to the back wall behind the players’ bench; water squirted all over. 

My shot hit with enough force that I shattered the bottle top, leaving the bottle pretty much useless. 

Some people might think that sums up a poor game of hockey for me, but I look at it as the best part of the game. 

I’m not sad I broke the bottle. I’m glad I hit it and not the other guys. 

Whoever put my water bottle on top of the boards, thanks! It provided a needed challenge.

Here’s the thing: There are challenges we will face in life where our trust in God will be required. But there are other challenges that God gives us as a gift to take on. When those fun, enjoyable challenges present themselves, don’t do them in your own strength. Trust them to God as well. 

That’s Life!

Paul

Question: What is a challenge before you now that you can trust God with? Leave your comments below.