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!
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