The Results Are In!!

I have been meaning to get on her since yesterday and share the news regarding Daria's soccer tryouts. Just a moment ago, I just had a revelation that I hadn't done that yet!! I have been so busy getting ready to head out of town to a cousin's wedding, that I totally forgot!!

Monday night, after the second round of tryouts, we received a call from the A team coach from Sherwood. DARIA MADE THE TEAM!!!! Daria was so very excited. I came home from a meeting to see her dancing in the doorway. I figured it had to be good news. She so wanted to play for this coach and that was exciting to see her excitement. Tim wanted me to wait until it was "official" before I said anything on my blog. They posted it on the website....so now it is official.

God really is good. I should have known not to fret. If God had granted us peace about not going to Newberg....I should have known that He would have good things in store for Daria. Tim was also able to have a conversation with the coach about our rule of No Sunday Morning Soccer. She said that she could work with that....and it sounded like there may not be many, if any, Sunday morning games. Yeah. That has been such a huge concern for Tim and I and we were relieved to have that discussion with her so early on.

I am so proud of my Girlie. We are excited for the year to come. Below is an action picture that Tim took this last Spring season. She's in the red. Isn't she awesome????

Tryouts

Daria's soccer tryouts started yesterday and continue this afternoon. My poor mind has just been consumed with it. It is honestly driving me nuts. I remember trying out for volleyball when I was a sophomore in high school. I don't remember being that nervous. I think it was because I knew I had a snowball's chance of making the team since they were only choosing 2 from my class.

But now....I feel like Daria has a really good chance. And then on the other hand...I feel like there is no way she'll make it through the political red tape that seems to be surrounding tryouts. I've been having a lot of conversations with God about it these last few days.

When Tim and I were wrestling with the Newberg decision last week, we came away feeling like God had directed us away from that decision. We had a great deal of peace about that. I have to keep reminding myself that being in Sherwood's tryouts was God's best for Daria. (At least in the small world of soccer!!) And yet I feel completely at the mercy now, of the coaches of Sherwood.

If I am honest, what I really want for Daria is for her to be on the "A" team in Sherwood. I want her to be validated in that regard. I know that I'm her mom and just a tad bit prejudice, but I think she is that good. It doesn't help that I don't want the Newberg coach to be able to say: "Ha...told you so. You made the wrong decision!" Oh my human heart is getting way too wrapped up in this Soccer Drama.

Last night, as I was doing my devotions, God was faithful. Isn't that just like God? The devotional that I was reading was so appropriate for my feelings. The author was talking about the difference between "getting what I wanted" and "getting what I needed." When my Moms in Touch friends were praying with me regarding our Newberg decision, we prayed that ultimately what we decided would be best for Daria's character. Maybe what Daria "needs" is not necessarily what I "want."

There is that conflict of "human wants" and "divine wants." So when my prayer jumps to praying that God would honor Daria with a spot on the "A" team, I quickly ask God to ultimately do what is best for Daria's character....what He wants for Daria. And to help me want what He wants...with no regrets.

Thankfully, Daria doesn't seem to echo my internal struggles. Ultimately, she just loves the game and wants to play and have fun. (To win, too, I'm sure!) We were both pleased to see who would be her coach if, by chance, she makes the "A" team. That was good for me to hear her thoughts on that. Neither of us were sure which coach would be the coach for the "B" team, but she seemed okay with that. And that....is an answer to last week's prayer.

Which reminds me again....God is faithful.

Soccer: The Conclusion

I have been so relieved about our decision regarding Daria's soccer, that I haven't even taken the time to blog about it here. Not that my dwindling audience cares all that much....but for future reference, it is good for me to write about the conclusion.

Last week was one difficult week. I hadn't thought about soccer so much EVER in my entire life. I thought about it in the morning. I thought about it at lunch time. I thought about it at dinner time. And all the times in between. Then, Tim would come home, we would get the kids into bed; and, we would talk soccer. Until way too late at night. Ugh. I seriously struggled with the fact that something as inconsequential as soccer was occupying so much of my time, thoughts, and sleep. It's only soccer!!

On Thursday, when I had the nerve to ask my Moms in Touch friends to pray for SOCCER, one of my very wise friends said....it isn't just soccer....its her character, too. Here I was focused on which team would be best for Daria. Would the benefits of playing in another town for another coach outweigh the frustration of commuting her there two times or so a week? In all the hubbub of the decision, I had forgotten the importance of a coach on a child's character.

Ultimately, I am very thankful that God is in control....and that He gives wisdom freely when we ask....when we seek. God is faithful.

I find myself way to wrapped up, at times, in my feelings about Daria's playing. I find myself too caught up in wanting her to be the best....or to have the best for her. I find that I often have to temper my feelings and my thoughts and make sure they line up with what God would want. It is way too easy to get caught up in "the game" that surrounds our soccer world right now. With all that, I found that I wasn't really trusting my feelings in this whole decision. Maybe that is why it consumed me as much as it did. My main prayer last week was that God would give Tim wisdom and direction in this decision. I really felt like his levelheadedness was what was really needed to make the best decision. I felt like this wasn't an emotional decision.

When that coach was wooing us over to his team, he had a lot of nice things to say about Daria. As a mom, I was just eating them up. I think Daria is a good player...and I loved hearing that someone else, who knew the came, thought so too. Who wouldn't want to play for a coach who saw her potential? Even so, at times, during the week, I just felt "off" about the decision to go there. I hesitated to say anything, because I really felt like the decision and leading needed to come from Tim.

I wish that I could adequately describe the many factors that were swirling around last week. I was feeling totally confused....one minute totally on board for a club change. The next minute I would be devastated with the thought of leaving Sherwood. All week long I was like that. Tim seemed totally on board with the switch. Daria, totally loving the things the coach had said, was totally thrilled with the idea too. I just could not grasp why I couldn't find peace with the decision.

As always, God proves that He is right on time. Never late. And rarely early....but right on time. Friday was our deadline for telling the coach our decision. Oh how I hated that deadline. Tim had spent a good deal of time trying to talk to people who knew about this other coach. For some reason, I was desperate for him to talk to someone. Friday dawned...and Tim still hadn't talked with anyone. To me, it seemed like forever, but finally he talked with some people. Crazy boy. He forced me to wait most of the day before he shared with me the information he had found.

Ugh.

I won't go into the details of what we learned. We both came to the conclusion that this wasn't the best decision for our family....or for Daria. While we were talking, it felt like we were dancing around saying that without really saying it. I didn't want to out and out say that. In my mind, I was trusting in Tim's leading for the decision. Anyway, somehow we concluded that. (We are terrible decision makers....even when it is for where we go to dinner!!!)

I cannot even begin to describe the peace that came with that decision. Tim even remarked on it the next morning. I didn't confess that that was what I felt until he confessed first!! (I was so relieved at Tim's peace. I was almost giddy.) There are still moments where I wonder, but ultimately, I have peace. Daria was a little disappointed to hear of our decision. We had to ask her to trust us that we were making the best decision for her. She begged us to change our minds for the first day....but I haven't heard anything since Sunday.

God is good.

Now my thoughts have been consumed with Sherwood's tryouts. They take place this coming Sunday morning. (Mother's Day!!) I have been praying that God would just continue to be faithful in Daria' life....even in her soccer life. I am also praying that I will feel at peace at whatever happens. Daria has been busy this week preparing herself for tryouts.

I am anxious to see what God has in mind.