In Joyful Response

   In my ninth grade year at Dorman, I went out for a few days to try out for the soccer team. It was a fun year and soccer seemed to be a fun sport to add to it. Now it was not like I had no shot. I was pretty good and other than a medical problem acquired earlier that year, and some disruptions in transportation, I think that I had a chance of making the team.
   So on the first day of practice, we ran the cooper. This is a legendary run around the entire Dorman campus in which resulted in a 2.1 mile run because we took shortcuts along the way. The cutoff was 16 minutes. Now, my senior year, that is a run that I can do in my sleep. Back then, I was not so in shape so that was not the case. I completed my run in 16.21. Barely off. And my first day, surely coach will let me off of the hook and give me the benefit of the doubt right? Absolutely not. Coach told me to go run another mile after I had just ran two miles because I did not run in the time alloted.
   Of course I ran the extra mile. But why? Because I wanted to? Indirectly yes, but no. The real reason is because I trusted fully that the coach knew exactly what he was doing and all of the conditioning that he was putting me through was for my benefit and good at the end of the day. he had my full trust. So I ran the extra mile. Do you get where I am going with this one? We do God's Will because we fully trust that the Savior of the Universe, the Alpha and Omega, Beginning and End, knows what is best for us in the end. We know that in Romans we are told that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord... thats why we trust Him completely, to run that extra mile every time.