Watching Your Kid Play Soccer

I used to think there was no better feeling in the world than scoring a goal in a soccer game. Watching the ball come off your foot, sail past the goalie and blast into the net. It's an incredible feeling and I used to live for those rare moments.

But time has a way of taking some things away while replacing them with others. My days of goal scoring are soon coming to an end. I'm not as fast as I used to be.  I play it safe, trying to avoid injury.  I don't go all out like I used to and, in turn, the goals are far and few. But God works in clever ways. And so now I get to sit on the sidelines and enjoy my son playing soccer. I get to enjoy watching him blast the ball into the goal.  And it is so much sweeter a feeling coming off his foot.

A couple of days ago I was lucky enough to enjoy that special feeling four times during one game.  I'm sure he felt great on the field having scored four goals and having his teammates cheer him on. But he couldn't have known just how amazing I was feeling sitting on the sidelines watching it all. All the pleasures of scoring goals, none of the aches and pains of having to suit up and play. Ahh, the gift of children.