life knows when we've showed up ready to play or not

​Three weeks ago, I sat and watched my son Elliott's recreation basketball team get dominated by their opponent. It was the last game of their regular season. The last game before the playoffs. They lost by 20 points. That is NOT the ideal way to go into the playoffs.

It was hard to watch. Not because they got beat so handily, but because they offered so little effort in defeat.

Yesterday, they faced that same team again in the championship game of those playoffs. My fear was Elliott's team would show up with the same lack of effort from the last encounter with this team - additonally burdened by the memory of a humiliating loss - and the result would be the same.

Or worse.

But very early in the game, it was clear there was no lingering trauma from that previous defeat. It was clear this day was going to be all about effort.

You know who picked up on that first? The other team.

The first time down the floor, one of our guys knocked an opposing shot clear into the empty stands. And the next time down, we stole the ball and drove to the other end for an easy basket.

We weren't two minutes into the game and it was written all over the opposition's faces; they were in a fight they didn't see coming. They weren't facing the intimidated or the helpless - but a group who had collectively brought every ounce of effort they had to flipping the script of an ugly memory. They were facing some kids who came ready to play.

They did flip the script. This time they won by 20.

I thought about that last night. In many ways, as beautiful as life can be, that beauty is almost always found in flipping the script of some ugly memories in our lives. And quite often, life isn't lining up to be on our side in that fight. Many days life is the opponent.

Life has this strange sense about it. It seems to know when we've showed up without effort or drive or belief. When we do, life takes full advantage of us. It pushes us around, slaps balls out of our hands, smiles and high fives itself, and takes pleasure in our defeat.

But life also seems to be keenly aware when we've showed up ready to play. Life senses when we're in no mood to be pushed around, when we've come prepared to swat a ball or two into the next universe ourselves.

Life the opponent thrives on our belief that life can't be beat, but seems to just as quickly wilt when we show up determined to dispute that. Life feels all too willing to back off when we show up declaring today is my turn. Almost like that's what life had been waiting for out of us all along.

It's Monday. I fully believe life knows if you're showing up this week ready to play or not. Do. Do show up ready to play.

Do show up this week and let life know, this week it's your turn.