The B-Team

Shoveling words doesn’t matter to a lot of people.
It matters to me.

I’ve been working so hard, almost in fast-forward, doing as much as I can to get my work completed to the best of my ability. I’ve been shoving along words, scooping and hauling them, rearranging, guiding them, all for what? To Make Something Happen.

You ever feel like you’re grinding away, and ….not going anywhere?

The building will get built if I keep on shoveling. Other people don’t have to be interested or excited. I may never get much attention. That’s got to be okay. What has to be okay is that I shoveled.

Go B Team!

On Sunday mornings, I sing with the worship team. I enjoy singing, always have. Sometimes I get afforded the incredible luxury of suggesting some of my favorite songs and we actually sing them. And sometimes, I know the words best so I get to lead the vocals! I find it so thrilling to share a song with others, our voices lifting to the heavens, singing together a song radiating life and hope. If only my voice carried as much life as I wanted it to. I know I was never destined to be known as a singer. OH, my friends, do I EVER know that. Every Sunday morning when my voice crackles through the monitors, OH, I hear every cringe-worthy, halting, misguided hint of a note. I hear it. I know the audience hears it too. Most Sundays I wish I had a uniform labeled, “B-Team,” so that everyone will know that I know I’m no first-string singer. If the worship team were a football team, I’d be a bench warmer. And when I take the field, it’s because nobody else showed up to play. So maybe that makes me, what, the D-Team? Let’s stick with B-team. B is at least a passing grade in a class.

Go B-Team!

Do you ever feel like you’re on the B-Team? Like maybe you’re doing as good as you can, but it’s not five-star worthy? Heck, it’s maybe not even one- or two-star worthy. But you’re showing up. You’re doin’ it. You’re getting’ ‘er dun.
It adds up, yes?

I believe so.

Because as a teacher I can say that every student who puts in the effort to submit assignments, to read, to write, to follow the directions even when the student has zero faith in her ability, she will finish, and learn, and retain even more about herself than the course material. In persevering the course, a student learns much more than book smarts. A student learns how to dig in, to maneuver books, to tumble conspiracies, and, more importantly, how to manage the course. The course looks different to every student. Some come in with quite a bit of language knowledge, some come in with none, some come in with what they thought was knowledge but is actually an excessive use of adverbs and sentence fragments and the vague pronoun ‘it.’
​
Even the B-team can win the game.
 
And what I keep coming back to, the fact that releases a lot of the pressure, is knowing I am not alone.

“If you can calm the raging sea
You can calm the storm in me
You're never too far away
You never show up too late
So here I am, lifting up my heart
To the one who holds the stars."
~ "Stars," by Skillet

The song relates to many refreshing verses in the Scriptures, reminding us of God’s presence, availability, ability, and help:
“For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13
 
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.” Isaiah 40:28-29
 
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7 (NIV) 

"Our help has come in the name of the Eternal, the Maker of heaven and earth!" Psalm 124:8 (VOICE)

So there you go. Go B-team!

You may just turn out to be the A-team after all. You have to keep shoveling. Pile it up, moundful by moundful, until the tower breaks the sky.
 
<waves pompoms> <attempts a jump> <fist bump>

Go, fight, win. Beat ‘em till the end. Huh! 

---