Over Christmas break, Natalie and I went bowling with Uncle Matt. With little bowling experience, Natalie seemed to be challenged with the game. We tried a few tips and modeled it some for her, trying to encourage the learning process without being overwhelming. Well, that first game was 90% gutter balls for Natalie. I can't remember the score but maybe she hit double digits...
Coming up on the second game, I said we better get some bumpers up if Natalie is going to experience any of the joy of actually knocking down pins. So up they go, and out goes Natalie to bowl. I couldn't believe what I saw next. That ball rolled straight down and knocked over a bunch of pins... didn't even get near to the gutters! And so went the second game, a complete reverse of the first game she played.
Amazing what happened when she began to focus on hitting the pins rather than avoiding the gutters.
Ever had an area of your life that feels like it's one gutter after another without reaching your goal? Maybe it's your diet & exercise, spending habits, or like me... negative mental ruts that hold you back. Ever noticed that the harder you try to overcome it, the more you find yourself falling into it?
Maybe rather than fighting against the 'gutters', we'd do better to change our attention to the goal.
I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14 NIV)
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