Interesting read in John 6 this morning.

Jesus had just fed the crowd, sent the disciples away in a boat, came walking on the water after them, the crowds couldn’t find Jesus the next day and go find him miles away on the other side of the lake.

I remember a coach back in junior high who was trying to help me play basketball better. Coach Charlie Brown (you’ve got to love the name!). Besides the coach, he was my seventh grade science teacher. He was also the teacher who’d make you bend over, grab your ankles and say “Please Mr. Brown, may I have a spanking?” when you’d done something wrong. To which he’d always respond, “Why yes, you may!” and proceed to lift you several inches off the floor as his flat, baseball bat paddle connected with your rear end. You were then required to say, “Thank you sir, may I have another?” He would either oblige you or sadly state, “I’m sorry Mr. Carr, but you may not.”

During basketball practice he’d say (actually, yell at the top of his lungs with the blood vessels on his forehead almost popping off his face), “Carr, ya gotta let the game come to ya! Ya’re always chasing the ball and never ready to make the points happn’.”

I was never in the right place, took dumb, unmakeable shots and was always huffing and puffing up and down the court because I couldn’t anticipate where the game was going. I think I may have been responsible for Coach Brown’s early heart attack.

I never did get it. Hence I’m not in the pros today.

Lots of frantic activity but nothing to show for it. Kinda like life that is whirling around me everyday.

If God is who he says he is, do I really need to do anything to make things happen?

Seems that at times I get so determined to make something happen that I take dumb shots, I miss my pick, I’m nowhere near the board to get the rebound. I blow my assignment. Worse, I mistake frantic and hectic activity for the signal that I’m accomplishing something.

Now don’t hear me wrong. Don’t make the mistake of being passive or being patient or “waiting on God’s timing” or just praying about “it.” That’s just being timid, frightened, deer-in-the-headlight or –to using common vernacular– copping out.

God moves, he takes the initiative, I need to respond and not have him wait till I get the initiative.

The disciples and the crowds just didn’t get it.

I’m afraid that is too often my problem… I’m ready to let Jesus come to my floundering boat and am glad when he gets in. I should be out there on the water with him, not sitting, cowering and missing my assignments. I’m tired of reacting when I should be responding.

As coach Brown said, “Carr, ya gotta let the game come to ya”