Ever have one of those days?

Do you ever feel like you're having one of "those" days.  No matter what you do, nothing goes your way? This poor kid stopped the ball, ran to the line, just like she was taught. . but instead of throwing the ball, decided to kick it.  Now, I've go to admit, she's probably got a better kick than me and I'm sure her little flip-er-doodle would be even funnier coming from a 47 y.o. chic like me. . but, kick it she did.

Sometimes, it's just that our fundamentals aren't there.  She was probably taught to scoot the ball down the field as the other kids were doing.  She was obviously taught to grab the ball and run to the line with it.  Was she ever taught the proper skills for kicking the ball with distance from that position?  Was she given time or incentive to practice that move?  She's pretty young and looks like a fairly new soccer enthusiast.  As a former coach. . that's what I see in this video. . and in my own life experience.

There are times in my life when I feel that I am just beating my head against the wall. . whether it be at work, in relationships, my faith walk or my diabetes management.  I just can't seem to advance and feel that I'm accomplishing anything.  Is it that I'm not trying hard enough?  Am I not diligent, sincere or well-meaning enough?  Perhaps it's that my fundamentals need a little practice.

In relationships, perhaps I haven't been simply gracious enough.  We all like to talk about our own situations and try to relate to others.  Have I listened with full attention when my friend has shared something important to them?  Or did I just jump right in with a solution or a "like" situation to relate with them.  Sometimes the best response is just a nod and a hug.  So, feel free to say Hey, Barb. . shut-up and hug me. 

My husband travels, ALOT.  Have I thanked him often enough for the sacrifice he offers every week when he leaves his family and gets on that plane?  Do I do enough to help him prepare for his trip?  Do I let him know how happy I am when he arrives home?  (Thanks Babe!  You work so hard to provide for us and I want you to know now how grateful I am.)

I'm in a fairly new position at work.  I've been a banker for so long and in February, I started working in marketing.  My boss is wonderful and has taught me SO much.  But, at times, I really feel like the dunce.  It's not that I'm stupid, my fundamentals just need some work.  I need to know what abbreviations like, SEO and PPC mean.  I'm really learning about market research and the difference between quantitative research and anecdotal research.  But, that doesn't come naturally to me.   These conversations with clients take practice and we rehearse all the time.  He understands the importance of my practicing my fundamentals.

Diabetes is new to me.  I didn't grow up watching a relative make proper food choices, bolus before/after a meal or talk about checking their feet for open sores.  I've scoured the internet for information, talked to my diabetes medical team at length and joined every diabetic online community I can find.  But, I'm still learning the fundamentals.  Just because I have 30 carbs available for my meal doesn't mean I can spend those 30 carbs on anything I want.  Some foods cause my BG to soar into the 300's with others simply raise it enough to verify I've eaten.  I've had to learn what time of day is best of my meds, my vitamins, my fish oil, my fiber, my exercise.  The fundamentals of testing my BG, making the right food choices and exercise are the fundamentals of self-managing my diabetes.  And BOY, does all that take practice.  I definitely relate to this little girl when it comes to this.  There are days when I not only feel that I've scored one for the other team, I've also done that flip-er-doodle and landed on my behind!

Sometimes, I feel like my prayers hit the ceiling and fall back to the floor around me.  Is it that God has taken a vacation to the Bahamas?  Is it that I don't know how to pray?  Perhaps my fundamentals need some practice here too.  Maybe when I'm spending my quiet time with Him, I'm doing too much talking and not enough listening.  Maybe He's trying to show me an area of my life that needs some tweaking, and I'm going on complaining about how unfair it is that I have a chronic disease.  The fundamentals of memorizing His Word, spending time with Him and listening for His voice and taking the time to see Him working all around me may need a workout.

When I coached softball, I was amazed that when I asked college coaches about what they were looking for in a softball recruit, many of them said they didn't care, they had to reteach the fundamentals from the beginning.  Many of the players arrive at that level with bad habits, poorly formed skills and feeling like they were superstars.  Let's not make the same mistakes.  Let's remember that the fundamentals will always get us through, but we need to continually hone our skills in whatever we do.  Let's not be so arrogant as to think we're better than we are and we don't need practice.  As I used to tell my team, practice doesn't make perfect, PERFECT practice makes perfect.

Have a great week!