And Then God Gave Us Off Season

Off season is the most important season. It’s the awkward time when you’re forced to step out of your routine, take a step back from the game, recoup and regain your strength & determination... until it’s time to start playing again.

For 'months', you are not on a team. Your schedule and how you choose to use your time, beneficial or not, for growth and gain or not- is up to you. And if for some reason my vote counted… I say it’s off season that gets all the glory.

We always talk about playoffs. The big games. The deciding ones. It’s the games and plays everyone’s watching. Waiting in anticipation. Cause someone, some team at the end of this, is going to be deemed the best and we all want to be apart of it… we all want to be there to see it happen…

But what about off season? Why aren’t we asking about that? 

In playoffs there is only win or lose. There’s only magic or disappointment. What about grit? What about prayer? What about hustle? What about commitment? What about limiting beliefs? What about lost strength and regained power? What about determination? What about humility? What about surrender and what about doing the unreasonable? What about family and rest and work? What about the quiet?

When no one’s there to watch and cheer… what about that time?

We all want to be a part of the big game. The big win. And stand next to the known team and the best player. But why don’t we want to stand next to grit? Join in prayer? Ask about the commitment? Listen to doubt? Be apart of the journey? Give power and acknowledgment to values? Commend rest? Be repelled by logic and inspired by possibility?

What about the quiet?

When the stadiums empty...
And the fans have gone home...
And you’re still working?
What about then?

Offseason is my favorite season. It’s when the dust of the chaos of the game clears- and everything becomes clear. It’s when no one is there to tell you whether you won or lost, to give you a score, keep track of your record and where statistics don’t exist. It is quite literally where every lost, tired and exhausted athlete is found again. Where our empty tanks are refueled.
Not by a trophy.
Not by a title.
Or new gear.

But by humility. By surrender. By unreasonable choices to be committed. By facing doubt. Depending on God. Retraining our mind and body and soul for strength. By prayer and family and love.

Only because of the offseason do we get to see the magic in the big games. Only because of offseason do players stand out- do teams stand.

So why aren’t we asking about that?