Not How I Planned It
Humbled Once Again
A person’s heart plans his way,
but the Lord determines his steps. – Proverbs 16:9
“The tree did not fall on her house or car. It fell across the driveway and road. She’s blocked in, and we need to go saw her out.” I’m sure this call was not unique in Hurricane Helene’s wake.
As we drove for an hour and a half, I mentally reviewed the photos we’d been sent and developed my plan of attack.
Upon arrival, the crew was already working with small saws on the treetop. “Great,” I thought, “I’ll help get that minor stuff out of the way, and since I have the only big saw, I’ll take care of the larger sections.” I filled the saw with gas and oil and pulled the starter cord…and pulled…and pulled – nothing. Ugh – few things are worse than a chainsaw that won’t crank. After all, it’s only removed from storage when it’s needed.
It took me a moment to regroup. I realized my plans wouldn’t come to fruition. I also reminded myself that we didn’t need to get the whole tree sawed. We only needed to clear the driveway and roadway (the original task), and the running saws could accomplish that.
I adjusted, joined the team, and devised a method of removing longer logs with a sling and truck. Had I been “running the big saw,” we probably wouldn’t have used that method, and the job would have taken longer.
Reflecting on that evening, I didn’t have a pure heart. Yes, I wanted to help, but I wanted to lead the charge. My ego was tied to “using the big saw to make a big difference.” The dead saw forced me to become a better team player and contribute differently. It wasn’t my plan. God humbled me again.
1. As a coach or leader, have you ever recognized a player not having their best game? How did you influence them to acknowledge that and adjust to the team’s advantage?
2. As an athlete or teammate , have you ever recognized you weren’t at your best during competition? How did you adjust to be a better team player?
Workout:
1. Genesis 50:20
2. Acts 9
3. John 13:37-38; 21:1-19
FCA Cycling
