You don't know if you don't Go.

This week my thoughts flashback to the glorious days of high school volleyball. I hold the memories and life lessons close to my heart. Playing Volleyball was no trivial matter. In order to play we would have to run a 5k in under 30 minutes, know how to do LOTS of double jumps, and being willing to put our whole heart into the sport. Volleyball required hard work, dedication, and discipline. The gym became one of my favorite places to be, as I spent numerous hours practicing and learning principles that would guide my life forever. Of the many wise words my coach said to me the one I want to reference to day is “You don’t know if you don’t go.”   I can vividly recall the situations in which this phrase would be used. I will try and paint the picture for you. 

Right after school we would get all dressed in our practice gear and head into the gym, knowing it was time to get to work. We then would begin to play some intense games and do hard drills, knowing the consequence for losing would mean an ample amount of double jumps could be in our future.  The ball would be served a beautiful pass turned to a perfect set, then a quick slap would be heard as the ball begins to plunge with great speed to the other side of the court. The player on the other side tries their best to dig the ball but as the ball contacts their arms it quickly shanks and begins to fly across the gym. Now the odds of someone running and actually getting the ball back into play would be slim to none, but this was absolutely no excuse. If we stood and watched the ball fall to the ground making no effort, we would hear the famous words immediately from coach saying “You don’t know if you don’t go!” We quickly learned to never assume any ball was too far away or any excuse would be good enough to make up for our lack of effort.  We also learned that often times what seemed impossible was in fact the opposite, and we could surprise ourselves at the maneuvers we could make to get a ball back into play.

Now as I look back I realize how that phrase does not only apply to volleyball but to my everyday life. There are always tasks that seem impossible. Often times it is easier to think of the endless list of excuses saying why trying would appear pointless, instead of making the effort to act.  I'm forever grateful for the wise words of my coach ingraining in my head to never underestimate the impossible. As I have applied that phrase to my everyday life, I see how important effort truly is. When we put forth our best effort and put our trust in the Lord, we can see miracles as we GO!