One day Christ and His disciples launched out in a boat across the Sea of Galilee. At some point in the journey a violent storm came upon the boat. The waves literally covered the boat and they nearly capsized and drowned.
Jesus slept through the onslaught until one of the disciples was smart enough to wake Him up. Christ woke up, commanded the wind and the waves to calm down, and they obeyed. Perfect calm.
There are a wide range of sudden storms that may come up in the midst of a tennis match. An opponent may suddenly begin cheating line calls. An opponent may become angry. An opponent may catch on fire and start firing laser serves, returns, and ground strokes. There may be a sudden change in weather. Someone in the crowd may become unruly. Etc. What should we do when the storms hit?
First, expect a storm or storms to come. Storms are a natural part of life. God often allows storms to help us remember how dependent we are upon Him. I believe God likes tennis because we can learn so much about life and Him when we play. I like to believe it's His favorite sport.
Second, wake up Jesus. In other words, ask Him to jump in and help. Now that assumes He is in the boat and storm and with you. So before we can ask Him to help, we have to ask Him into the boat with us. We have to ask Him onto the court with us. It is a good practice before a match to ask The Lord to onto court with you.
Third, do what you can do. There are some steps we can take on our own to calm ourselves. Deep breathing. Meditating on something relaxing. Singing a favorite song. Saying out loud or quietly The Name of Jesus, The Prince of Peace, during the situation. Thanking The Lord for the storm and what He is doing in the midst of it.
All of this is great practice for the storms of life. They are coming. No one is immune. The test is how we respond in the midst of the storm, not whether or not they come. If we look carefully, the storms are often allowed to reveal to us that no matter how big the stormy situation is, Jesus is bigger. He speaks to the wind and the waves and they obey. He is often the only way out, He is the only Savior, and He is the difference between life and death.
First, expect a storm or storms to come. Storms are a natural part of life. God often allows storms to help us remember how dependent we are upon Him. I believe God likes tennis because we can learn so much about life and Him when we play. I like to believe it's His favorite sport.
Second, wake up Jesus. In other words, ask Him to jump in and help. Now that assumes He is in the boat and storm and with you. So before we can ask Him to help, we have to ask Him into the boat with us. We have to ask Him onto the court with us. It is a good practice before a match to ask The Lord to onto court with you.
Third, do what you can do. There are some steps we can take on our own to calm ourselves. Deep breathing. Meditating on something relaxing. Singing a favorite song. Saying out loud or quietly The Name of Jesus, The Prince of Peace, during the situation. Thanking The Lord for the storm and what He is doing in the midst of it.
All of this is great practice for the storms of life. They are coming. No one is immune. The test is how we respond in the midst of the storm, not whether or not they come. If we look carefully, the storms are often allowed to reveal to us that no matter how big the stormy situation is, Jesus is bigger. He speaks to the wind and the waves and they obey. He is often the only way out, He is the only Savior, and He is the difference between life and death.
Prayer
Father God, please give me the wisdom to seek You in the midst of storms in tennis and in life. Please reveal Yourself to me in the midst of my storms and help me to learn from each storm that comes me way. Amen in The Name of Jesus.
Drills
Drills
1. Play games starting down 0-30. Alternate playing with the deficit.
2. Play a singles game where your opponent gets the doubles alley too. Alternate playing with the handicap.
3. Play a game where you can only hit to one side and opponent gets the entire singles court. Alternate playing with the handicap.
4. Play where one player only gets one serve.
