Hockey Prayers – The Lord Answers
This weekend Super Stuffy is once again participating in a hockey tournament. This time, though, we are at home. I love going to the ice arena. There is a definite feeling of family here, and it feels good to know that we belong here.
Last night we had another heartbreaking game. We lost 9-0. Once again it was a hard game to watch. The other team handled the puck so well, and our team just got outskated. It wouldn’t have been so bad if we had scored at least one, but that big fat zero up on the board was just taunting the team. They had now gone four games without scoring a single goal.
After the game Super Stuffy said that he had a hard decision to make because he wasn’t sure if he wanted to play hockey any more. He hated seeing that big zero up there. I told him not to give up. He has tried so many sports and hockey is the only one that lights him up. He loves skating, the smell of the ice, and playing together with his team. I don’t want him to quit.
This morning was a beautiful morning. Stuffy’s first game wasn’t until 11:45, so we had time to spend together as a family. Stuffy felt a little more hopeful, and so did I. I had woken up a couple of times in the middle of the night, and each time I prayed that God would let them win today. They needed the boost in confidence. Even if they didn’t win, just one goal would make a big difference. I believed that God had heard my prayers.
At the start of the game it was quickly obvious that it would a more evenly matched game. In the previous four games we spent most of the time on the wrong side of the ice. In this game, the puck went back and forth and there was not one dominating team.
At the end of the first period, it was still a scoreless game, which after the previous four was extremely encouraging. During the second period our team scored a goal, and I don’t think that I have ever cheered so loudly. They had broken their scoreless streak, and even if they didn’t get another goal, this one was enough to give them the boost that they needed.
By the end of the second period, the score was 2-1, and Super Stuffy’s smile stretched from ear to ear. The feeling of hopelessness had disappeared, replaced with a feeling of confidence. All of the players played as if they were saying, “We can do this.”
During the third period, I outdid my previous cheering. The final score of the game was 5-2. But that wasn’t the best part. Super Stuffy normally plays defense so he is not usually in a position to score a goal. This is his fourth year of playing hockey, but he has only scored two goals in his career. Both goals were in the same tournament game last year. Today, he did not score a goal, but he got his first assist ever. When I heard his name announced for the assist, I stood up and cheered liked the proudest mama.
As the glow of the win took over, I took a minute to thank the Lord. I know that in the big scheme of the world this win means absolutely nothing, but to a team of 9 and 10 year olds it means everything. To my son it means the difference between continued discouragement and the courage he needs to keep trying.
To me, this win once again reaffirms that God is a loving Father. I know that there are a lot of people out there who would call me foolish for believing, It’s just a coincidence that we won and God had nothing to do with it. But I don’t believe that. He cares about us, He cares about the minute details of our life, and He loves my son more than I ever could.
When discouragement threatens to take over my heart, God has shown me numerous times that I still have reason to hope, even in something so small as a hockey game win. And I know that He will also show my son how much he is loved by the Father who created him.
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