Penalty or Challenge

I am an avid football fan!  I love sitting in front of the television watching football.  Actually, there alot of things I don't know about the game but I love it anyway.  You see football signifies "quality time."   It was my thing with my dad.

Mom hated football, my older brother didn't have time for it so "daddy was all mine!"  So this post is not about my dad and football but let me say this:  I have a love of the game because I got to sit at my dad's side, I got to hold his hand, I got to ask "what happened daddy" and those are memorable times.  To all the daddies out there ....quality time!

So now for my post...In football, even now I ask my husband "What does that mean?" "What just happened?"  I have asked some crazy questions.   However, I do know enough to enjoy and love the game, but for me in my life, football has always meant quality time. 

I have often asked what does that sign mean, or why is that a penalty?  A penalty is called when a player violates one of the "rules" such as they pulled on the opposing player's face mask or they intentionally interfered with an opposing players catch, or they tackled an opposing player by pulling on him from his neck area [horse collar]. The penalty flag is yellow and in some games is thrown often. 

Something that was changed a while back was challenges.  This is where a team gets to challenge a call made by a referee.  The team challenging wants a review or has a question about the call or simply wants them to take another look.  The challenge flag is red. 

I purchased these two flags for my younger brother who is an avid home team football fan.  I was going to use them as a joke but have had them for two months and they are still here.  Everytime I look at them I say I am going to use them.  Well today I am!

I thought about my life with Christ and asked myself this questions....does God have to throw more penalty flags at me for my disobedience or do I throw more challenge flags at God for not getting my way?  

God rarely throws penalty flags at me and I have to believe that is because of his grace and mercy and not anything I do. 

I on the other hand have found myself throwing the challenge flag often.  "Hey, take another look at that injustice against me"  or "Why do I have to go?"  or "No, you've got the wrong girl God!"  If I looked at the field of my life I feel fairly sure it would be filled with "red flags."

I don't want to be that person that constantly challenges God's plan for me and I don't want to be that person that gets penalized for disobedience.  I want to be that woman of God that is prudent, alert, wise and takes refuge in the wings of her God.

So what is it for you?  Penalty or Challenge?

The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.
 Proverbs 22:3