If you’ve been around my children during the holidays, you probably know about the Great Pie Contest that occurs on Thanksgiving. If you don’t let me fill you in. Every year at Thanksgiving, Ben and I have a “contest” to see which pie is better- pumpkin pie or apple pie. It started off in good fun as a way of me trying to prove to my husband we NEED pumpkin pie at a Thanksgiving dinner. The first year, there was a pretty honest response, but apple won. The next year (and every year since), battle lines were drawn. It escalated quickly into an all year argument as to which pie is better.
In truth, it’s not even really apple pie or pumpkin pie. It’s mom’s team and dad’s team. And the lines have been drawn, girls verses boys. And it’s not just a Thanksgiving Day thing. We spend all year talking about which team will win.
This last November the girls and I made our pumpkin pie. We rallied behind our pie taunting the boys saying our pie was the best and going to win.
Then it came time to vote. Each child gets a bite of the two pies and chooses which pie they want. The boys were up first. Two quick votes for apple pie. Then came the girls. And, the very first one of my girls to vote… she flipped. NOOOO!!!! She happily ate her apple pie while I knew we had lost… again. 3-2. (Maybe next year I can get Isaiah’s vote.)
As soon as my traitor of a daughter finished her pie, she looked at me and said, “Pumpkin pie will win next year, mom.”
In my mind I was like, `Well, we would have won this year had you just stayed loyal.’ But I let her back on my “team,” and we immediately began telling everyone that pumpkin pie would win next year.
You know in this life there are two teams too. God’s team and the enemy’s team.
I often am a loud and proud Christian- God’s team all the way. But sometimes… sometimes I choose to not choose. I choose to sit the sideline and not rally behind where God is moving.
Sometimes I know the choice I should make and choose the other choice. Sometimes it’s just easier to go with the flow. Sometimes it’s just easier to NOT have that conversation. Sometimes I just expect someone else to do it.
Before I know it, my opportunity to come through for God passes.
It’s much easier to say we are followers than it is to actually be a follower. It’s easy to say we want God to radically change our lives. But it’s much harder to let Him.
But God doesn’t give up on you. He accepts you right back on His team and give you the opportunity to come through again while equipping along the way.
I’m not going to lie, I can recall a time I was prompted to act and said, “Nah.” I can still remember what I was wearing. What they were wearing. I was holding that $5 bill in my hand and refusing to let it go, long before they even knew they needed help. I knew I should help them. I felt that stir at least three times. But instead, I watched them fumble through their wallets. I watched them choose to return an item. I failed to do what the Holy Spirit was prompting me to do.
It bugged me. It bugged me so badly. Why didn’t I just listen? After that moment, I promised myself I would never do that again. When God calls me to act, I will act.
I saw a quote recently that resonated with me. It said, “Delayed obedience is disobedience.” If you know what God is calling you to do, do it. And if you are unsure, talk to another Christian.
There are two teams in this life. And if you are not on God’s team, you’re against His team. My advice- do your best to ensure that when He calls on you, you are ready to come through for Him.