Teamwork

 

Year 9- Day 70:  Today, I am grateful for teamwork.

I have had the blessing of working with many amazing teammates in my life. What a difference a team makes. 

God designed us for companionship. He designed us for a relationship. Most humans thrive when they feel a sense of belonging. 

Fun things are better with friends. Hard things are more bearable with companionship. Humans rarely do well with loneliness. In fact, solitary confinement has been used as a serious punishment for prisoners who are in trouble for their behaviors toward others. 

For those on sports teams, knowing the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete can help the team perform at the highest level. Teammates lift us up and encourage us when we are tired, injured or weary. 

Here in Central Illinois, the baseball teams followed are the Cubs (Go, Cubs, go!) and the Cardinals. There is a great deal of banter  that occurs when baseball fans gather. I've seen marriages work when each spouse cheers for the other team, but there usually needs to be some ground rules as to how far is too far.  Marriage is a team sport. We can have different opinions, but need to be moving toward the same goal. 

Teamwork means many hands make for light work. It means we get the job done faster and better. It is how we pass on skills to the next generations. 

Think of an Amish barn raising. The teamwork seems flawless. In truth, there are those in the mix who are learning things for the first time. Working side by side with family and friends is satisfying to the soul. 

I am reminded of the Holy Trinity... the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit... the ultimate team. I am awed that we can be in relationship with them. As believers, we are teammates as we chase the heart of Jesus. We are to look, learn, lead, listen and live in Him. 

"His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us.  For in him we live and move and exist." -Acts 17:27-28

With Him. In Him. We don't just exist... we learn to really live.

Today, I am grateful for teamwork.