It's a crazy thing you know...playing Tic Tac Toe with a six year old has brought me to a new point of humility.
You know...I was raised that if you're playing the game, you have one goal....TO WIN!! I don't care if you're 6 or 60, games were made to win plain and simple.
It reminds me of my first coaching job as the local community soccer coach for a 6 and under soccer team. I was looking to build a franchise, while some parents were more interested in just having fun! How silly is that! Just having fun? Why even play the game? RIGHT?
Well, today I was playing some Tic Tac Toe with my 6 year old. We were eating some Italian food after church this morning and waiting on our food. So I was KILLING HER as the tic tac master I am. Slowly and surely, her spirit was being crushed. No hope of winning with the master. HA!!!
And then I felt convicted....
It's only Tic Tac Toe.
Some might say, What difference does it make if a six year old gets the thrill of beating her father at a silly little after church game?
Well to me, loosing is a big deal. So today I set it up....
I purposely let her win a few games, and thought my ever living world was coming to an end. I know it sounds stupid looking back , but I was crushed. She was elated!! She was so pumped that she beat dad at something. It was awesome!!
And you know what....
It really doesn't matter.
If God can come down out of heaven and earth to live as a human..the least I can do is loose a few tic tac toe games right?
Or maybe there's a deeper lesson here. Maybe it isn't about competition, or winning, or loosing; but maybe it's about recognizing the needs of others, and encouraging them along the way. In fact, I know that's the deeper lesson here.
Life is all about serving the needs of others. You know how I know? The smile on my little girl's face was WAY more valuable than retaining my tic tac toe world championship reputation.
