Admiration 

When is the last time you put yourself out there? Like literally stepped outside out of the box, took a chance outside of  the element and tried your hand at something new?

My daughter…God’s gift…that teen queen I talk about all the time is one remarkable girl.  This kid has a tenacious spirit that motivates me to set bigger goals and shoot for the moon.  At 43 years old I’m drawing inspiration through my 14-year-old. Who knew?   This past week she demonstrated unhindered fear and broke past her comfort zone.   It’s the coolest thing to watch the Lord work through and in my very old child.  I admire her.

As a young mom I wanted my precious baby girl to experience all the fun “FRU FRU” girly stuff such as dance lessons, the traditional black leotard and pale pink tights.  The tiny black ballet slippers and tap shoes.  Shuffle ball changing with all of the other precious peanuts.  I couldn’t wait to watch her wave and perform on stage doing the ritual dance recital as we awed and gawked like all parents do.  Not long after her short stint in tutus, she requested pee wee cheer.  Seeing that my cousins’ son was on the football team, I volunteered to be cheer coach.  HEM HEM after all, yours truly, once upon a time was on an NCA all american #2 in the nation cheer squad.  I was qualified and how cute will my girl be in a cheerleading skirt?!?!

After two-year of pee wee cheer, the young pilgrim had new aspirations. She was jumping ship to give it a go doing more sporty stuff like lacrosse at which she highly excelled.   She definitely got the athletic gene from Mr. Chicken Fry.  For the last five years she spends her time playing lacrosse, volleyball,  track and socializing.

About 12 weeks ago, serious as a heart attack, my teen queen verbalized her desire to be a freshman high school cheerleader. Do what??  I was shocked to say the least.  Naturally, I did what all good moms do and surrendered my credit card.  She would need some classes to brush up on her tumbling skills and jumps. Not to mention all the other stuff that cheerleaders need to know how to do!  Thank you Spirit of Texas!  

To try out for freshman /Jv cheerleader one is required to do a lot.

Learn a new dance routine

Learn the words, cadence and motions to a new cheer

Perform three different jumps

Perform a standing tumbling trick

Perform a running tumbling pass

Now suppose your daughter/ child has been dancing since she was a tot, these requirements would come as no big deal or surprise. The experience from dance competitions and recitals would have been a perfect form of preparation. The same goes for those in gymnastics or competition cheer.

All this to say my teenybopper has been doing NONE of these things. Out of the clear blue sky she suddenly wants to be a cheerleader. Let’s go for it doll. With vigor she’s laying it all on the line and I love that. 

As the weeks drew closer me and the teen queen spent a lot of time in prayer partnered with God. We prayed each and every day. We laid this “try out” at HIS feet. We prayed for her mental capacity so she would remember the dance and cheer moves. We asked for energy and peace to calm her anxious excited nerves.  More importantly, we prayed Gods’ will and plan for her high school path. 

After a grueling 3 days of practice and one mock try out the wait was over. She did her very best showing spirit and landing the required tumbling skills. She did it, all of it and that in itself was a BIG DEAL!

The results were handed out in sealed envelopes. The girls were asked to scatter and privately open the results.  It was revealed that my brave teen queen did NOT win a spot on the 2017 cheer squad.

This is a happy ending!!!  Not what she was hoping for but nonetheless a very happy ending.  Of course there was a feeling of disappointment and a few tears. But the glory of the Lord shine down HIS face on this situation. This is the time to trust HIS path.

For this particular season, cheer is not the MASTER plan for this beautiful face. Not right now and maybe not ever. We will keep praying and asking God to guide her decision each and every step along the way. If next year she should feel God nudging her to try again then by all means she will.  One of the coolest aspects of this outcome was the  opportunity to speak Gods truth to her. 

The Lord is intimate and intentional. He desires our full attention. I had the privilege of softly explaining to my then weepy teen that her self-worth was by no means tied to this fleeting moment. She is defined more by her Godly actions and reactions. Which in this case was her incredible zeal for trying!  I looked her in the eye and told her that this was God’s answer and her job is to trust it an obey it!  I reminded her to offer up a sincere congratulations to her friends that made the squad. The whole process was an experience she will use and remember.

What was also revealed to me was the guts of this girl! She tackled it square on! She went up against a ton of other cheer competitors who were nailing olympic style flips and tricks. Yet even with only basic skills she still put herself out there!  She was intimidated and scared but she did it.  She went for it!

Any chance you need to step out of your wheel house?  Do you need to take a chance on FITness?  Try working out and losing some weight?  Do you need to get still with God and pray?  Are you worried about failing or being rejected?

All you need to reject is the enemy telling you not to try.   If we never try something we will never grow.  As a mom…I saw the fierce competition and points structure on which she would be judged.  I might could have talked her back into the safety of the square box and listened to satan and never let her spread wings.   But what good would this do? Instead I listened to the HOLY SPIRIT who directed me to pray with my daughter and to bring Him into the center of all that we do.  There is nothing to big or small. 

We would have missed out if I had been paralyzed and listened to the enemy. We would have lost out on the experience of prayer and trusting God who is writing the teens testimony for HIS purpose. God is showing her how resilient and big HE is.

Easter weekend, a time for adoration. Looking to the ONE who defeated death. Who left a tomb empty and wide open!  A Savior who lives and is preparing a greater place for all of those who choose and love HIM. The one who left HIS SPIRIT to dwell inside of us.

I can say with complete certainty that when we trust and align our lives and plans with The ONE we should prepare for awesome outside of the box stuff.  Whatever we have dreamed or thought or visualized is minute compared to HIS course.   The great IAM who ascended into heaven has a purpose for you!  We will experience grief, mistakes and failures but through it all we are called to praise and obey.

I’m beyond proud of my tenacious daughter.  The sting of defeat lasted a quick few minutes.  We offered up praise for HIS plan and offered thanks for her healthy body.    I think she’s able to see that this is not the end of the world but the beginning of a bright new possibility.  All I see is a God’s love and a brave spunky teenager with a courageous spirit!

I love her. I learn from her. I thank God for her!

I hope you all had a happy Easter weekend.  Stay tuned for tomorrows post…GENE POOL!

Love, pray, trust and obey!  

Angi xo 😘