This December, my youngest daughter Ashley had something amazing happen to her. Out of the blue, her flag football coach let her know that she was one of thirty high school girls in the entire country chosen by the NFL (yes, the National Football League) to play in the first ever NFL Girls Flag Football Showcase, live on ESPN right before the 2025 NFL Pro-Bowl. Never did she imagine this, never did she expect this, never did she even know that this event existed. The opportunity was completely unexpected.
As I watched my girl on that field in Orlando this past Sunday, I had chills. As television clips of her and supportive texts from friends and family watching at home came through on my phone, I still didn’t quite believe it. As she stopped a pass in the end zone and her name was announced in front of the entire stadium, I was still in awe. It was surreal and beyond description, and the word pride doesn’t even come close to explaining it.
But, I am not writing this post with the intent to brag, (although I am so incredibly proud of her), I am writing this post because what this unforeseen opportunity reminded me of, is that sometimes in our lives the most fantastic things happen when we least expect it. Sometimes our greatest opportunities are those we never saw coming. Those we never asked for.
The day I got back from Orlando I came across this quote, author anonymous;
“At no time had we asked what God’s will was for us; instead we had been telling him what ought to be.”
The timing of my reading these words was poignant coming right off Ashley’s NFL opportunity. So often in life we pray for certain goals, certain outcomes. We pray, we hope, we beg, we even scream. We think we know what is best for us and want it to happen.
“Please God, please!”
We pray to get into a particular college, we pray to meet that special someone, we pray to get a certain job, we pray to get, to get, to get. And sometimes, if we are lucky, we do get what we pray for, but sometimes we do not. And that can be hard. Hurtful. Disappointing.
And I know it is easy and cliché to say, “It wasn’t meant to be,” or “It wasn’t God’s plan,” but that doesn’t always take away the hurt, or the anger. But I do believe it. I believe it in my heart, and opportunities like Ashley’s make my Faith even stronger. I believe that one day, we may see why that prayer wasn’t answered, and that one day, we may get something even better. Something that we never prayed for, never asked for, never even fathomed!
And although this recent experience was about Ashley, it was a lesson to me, a reminder to me, that even when I am sad about prayers that have not been answered, to try to remember that there might just be something else out there on the horizon that absolutely changes my life. Maybe even tomorrow. Because God has plans we do not and cannot know.
Sent with wishes that His plans for you include something wonderful and unexpected.
Blessings and love,
Find Your Wings©️
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