Lessons From the Spurs' Saga

Spurs’ fans aren’t used to the drama that surrounded the recent trade of Kawhi Leonard to the Toronto Raptors. Over the last few months, there was a lot of chatter on social media about what NBA team would be Kawhi's next home. People took to twitter with angry comments, blaming, shaming, complaining and basically fed up with the circus. Finally, our weary-under-the-radar-city breathed a sigh of relief. It was over. Kawhi was traded.

Coach Gregg Popovich spoke after the trade came down. He stressed that he had no hard feelings toward Leonard. "Kawhi had conducted himself wonderfully while he was here. He helped us win a championship and was a hard worker all the time. We wish him well, but at this point, it’s time to move on." Coach Pop….a breath of fresh air!

The Spurs’ saga became an important mirror for me. I’m compelled to ask myself questions like "How do I communicate my opinions in the face of discord? Do I spout off on topics when I don’t know the whole story? Am I quick to gossip about a person and speak ill of him? Do I let resentment trump being reasonable? Do I spread negativity about others? Do I pray before I speak about challenging topics?

We will never know all aspects of the Spurs summer saga. We just won’t. We only know what we know. That’s it. That’s true about life. We only know what we know. Often, we think we know morethan we do! And to hear Coach Pop, who knows more than all of us, speak with grace, dignity and honor toward Kawhi Leonard??? Wow.

Scotty Smith writes "You can lead with kindness, not rightness. Loving is way more important than winning." How does this apply to you today as you influence others today?

‘Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry." James 1:19 NLT

"He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" Micah 6:8

"Offer the kindness you long to see in our culture, the fairness you wish the "media" would present, and a commitment to respect conflicting views without meanness and spite. Don’t just lament/curse the absence of goodness. A little yeast of kindness goes a long way." Scotty Smith

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Watch Me!

I love to swim, but I didn’t actually start out as a fish in the water. I failed beginning swim lessons three times. Yes, three times. Pretty bad, for sure. But wait! The pool for lessons in early June in northern Ohio wasn’t exactly warm water. About the time the snowplows were put away, the city pool opened! Well, not quite. 

When I finally got comfortable in the water, I would perform antics like most kids for all to see. On vacations with my family, I would wildly jump in the water and then shout out to my parents the two pool words known to all parentkind…. "WATCH ME! WATCH ME!" When I successfully got their attention, I would share my performance with them which usually consisted of some underwater flips and a very bad version of synchronized swimming. They would clap for my amazing performance and the cycle would continue again.

Even as an adult, we sometimes just want someone to notice us. Brene’ Brown writes of being on her cell phone one time as she received a drink order in the drive-through lane at a fast food restaurant. She apologized as soon as she could get off the phone: "I’m so sorry. The phone rang right when I was pulling up and I thought it was my son’s school." The woman who was serving her got tears in her eyes and said, "Thank you so much. You have no idea how humiliating it is sometimes. They don’t even see us." (pp. 137, John Ortberg, I’d Like You More If You Were More Like Me, 2017) Boom.

John Ortberg goes on to write "Because intimacy involves shared experience, it also requires presence. And presence doesn’t mean simply having my body in the same room with yours. It requires sustained, focused attention. It demands eye contact. It demands that we look up from our screens and put down our devices." (John Ortberg, pp. 141)

We are made to connect with others. That’s why, when we lack connection or intimacy, it makes us sad. Lonely. Hurt. Not valued. Technology strives to take the place of our longings, but will always falls short.

No matter where your attention is right now, did you know you have God’s attention? Like, right now, He is thinking of you and watching you and loves you. Connecting to the God of this universe is mind boggling! He really longs for relationship, even when we mess up.

Check out Psalm 139:1-4: "You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely…."  Reread it out loud and place your name where it says "me" or "my."

Most humans are asking "Are you watching? Are you listening? Will you love me unconditionally, warts and all?" God says "Yes, Yes, Yes!"

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Pray About EVERYTHING

Maybe you offered up a prayer this last week for the 12 Thai boys and their coach trapped in a cave in northern Thailand. The operation to extract them was expedited due to impending rainy weather moving in. With one former Thai Navy SEAL dying as he delivered supplies, it was sobering to see how technically difficult this operation really was.

We turn to prayer when things get bad. Like when 12 boys and a coach get trapped in a cave. Like when a school shooting occurs. Or we find out that a dear friend has cancer. This stuff is bad and we have no clue what to do, but to pray.

For me, prayer is a relationship. A relationship with God that can grow and grow. Prayer involves listening, talking, waiting, asking, thanking, praising and claiming God’s promises. I want to be a student of prayer. Why? Because prayer changes things. Prayer changes me.

Prayer is something I don’t fully understand, but something I can’t do without. Each morning, I spend time writing down in my prayer journal the things I want to pray about. I pray for people that I know that need prayer. I pray for my husband and family. I pray for missionaries. I pray for my work. I pray for our country and our governing officials. I pray for whatever God brings to my mind.

This last week, I had a HUGE answer to prayer! I had been praying for over a month about asking a certain person to speak for our upcoming Y conference. And God answered YES! I was so excited because I knew that only God could make this happen!

Did you know that you can pray about everything? The Bible tells us “Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6-7) That word EVERYTHING means just that. Everything.

What makes me crazy is when I don’t pray. I instead choose to fear or get anxious or wonder what’s going to happen. I try to take control and royally botch things up. Why do I do this? God created us and knows our tendencies to worry and try to control things. So, He gave us a lifeline with Himself, the creator of the Universe! Why not take advantage of this amazing gift?

As you begin this day, realize that you can pray about EVERYTHING that is going on. You can talk to God and get to know God. God longs for a relationships with you! He is crazy about you! Let Him in on your life…your hopes, your dreams, your anxieties, your failures, your regrets, your sin. Seek Him. He will answer.

“Courage is fear that has said its prayers.” Dorothy Bernard

“Prayer is unmarketable. Prayer gives you no immediate pay off. You get no immediate feedback or sense of success. True prayer, in that sense, probably is the most courageous and counter cultural thing an American will ever do.” Boz Tchividjian

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Self Sufficiency

We are hard wired to trust in ourselves. Self-sufficiency and self-confidence are traits that are admired and even desired in our careers. It seems so natural to embrace these traits. Yet self-sufficiency causes us to think that we can do what needs to be done in our own strength and abilities. Can we? 

When we operate in our own abilities, we are basically saying with our actions that we don’t need God. Why don’t people pray more? How much of our work is characterized by “going it alone?”

I was studying about self-sufficiency and what God thought about it in the Bible this week. (Judges 6-7) God had enlisted Gideon to lead Israel’s army against their enemy. But God knew this human tendency of ours and sought to help Gideon learn a powerful lesson. He didn’t want Israel to think they were victorious on their own strength! So, He devised a massive lay off. He reduced Gideon’s army resources from 32,000 men to 300! With such a small force, who do you think won the battle? (Check out Judges 7:1-25)

Gideon got God’s drift. God can supernaturally make things happen with a massive reduction in men. Why? Because God is God! When we’re smooth sailing and have resources at our fingertips, it can actually keep us from placing our full dependence on God. Can you imagine what God could do in your life and work if you fully trusted Him?

I just had a big birthday. So, I’ve been around a while. I can honestly say that I need God more than ever!!!  I need His wisdom, His strength, His guidance, His love, and His leadership in the daily-ness of my life. Whatever you’re going through-relationship conflicts, unrealistic work goals, deep longings, family challenges, stressors or fears about the future- God is sufficient and able to help you and more! Will you trust Him?

Prayer for today: Dear Father in Heaven, How do I trust in my own abilities more than you? How have I lived like I don’t need you? I know that the Bible says I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, but sometimes I forget that it’s YOU who strengthens me. Lord, be real to me today. Help me, like Gideon, to learn to place my full confidence in you. Give me a vision of what my life could be like as I fully trust in you. Amen.

“Don’t count on your warhorse to give you victory- for all its strength, it cannot save you. But the Lord watches over those who fear him, those who rely on his unfailing love.” Psalm 33:16-18 (NLT)

“Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,” 2 Corinthians 3:5 (ESV)

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.

Daisy's New Adventure

So, Daisy just got moved to a new pasture yesterday. I believe in horsey terms she’s now in “Fat Camp.” My husband refers to our new horse as “Chow Hound.” Come to think of it, every time I go to ride her, she and her pasture mate are chowing down on the round bale in the exact same place.

Recently, my trainer, Veronica, began to notice that Daisy was putting on a few extra pounds
and it was affecting her training sessions. (Not very becoming for her 1050 pound body) Veronica made the call to move her to a different area she lovingly referred to as the “piglet pasture.” Daisy’s getting a major reduction in hay and less feed in the “piglet pasture.” So, I guess Daisy
is a now member of Horsey Weight Watchers. She’s in for a treat. Well, maybe not.

Veronica sent me a video of Daisy’s first few moments in her new pasture. She was bucking and running around and having a blast! In fact, she looked like she was having a lot more fun and socializing with the other new horses beside her. She didn’t even seem like she was missing her round bale!

I love how Veronica saw a problem and dealt with it. She didn’t want Daisy to become a fat, lazy horse that just ate hay all day long in the same exact place. She’s working with Daisy and I to make us successful in the show ring. Veronica had more in mind for Daisy!

We all need people in our life who push us further than we would normally be pushed. Those are the people who celebrate us and want the very BEST in us. They’re asking the question “Where do you want to go and how can I help you get there?” They’re our horse trainers, our exercise instructors, our bosses, our friends, our pastors, our teachers, our counselors and our mentors. Hopefully, we are modeling this for people in our life as well!

Face it. We’ve all been in ruts in our life. We can’t seem to get away from that round bale in the pasture. It could be a bad job, a challenging relationship, unhealthy eating, a challenging addiction or even a bad habit like impatience, anger or complaining that seems so natural. Sometimes, these ruts are so comfortable we can’t imagine changing, even though we know we should!

I think God delights in pulling us out of our boring pastures for something more. He loves to give us the very best, not settling for what we often settle for. Where are you stuck? Where do you need God more than you think you do? Maybe, this summer is the summer of change. Just ask Daisy.

“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C. S. Lewis

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.