My Best Defense

My sister looked straight at me and quipped,
“When you figure it out…
Let me know.”

I had just spent a few days with her as she had travelled from out of town. 
As frustrating as it was for me to admit-
I owed her an apology.  It had begun a day or two before her arrival. I was filled with angst, and thus a bit “off” during her visit. There had been a few “things” that I knew I was letting get to me. I knew it was the adversary trying to break me down. And unfortunately I wasn’t playing good defense. 

Defense was a bit tricky for me. 

When I began playing high school basketball, I was 5’1”, skin and bones, with disproportionately large feet compromising the degree of athleticism required for virtually any skill needed to play the sport.  
Within the first few days of the season’s practice we ran a lot of drills on both defense and offense.
By the end of the first week, the coach divided the team into two groups: offense and defense. 

The Midwest was one of the last regions to adapt it’s women’s basketball programs. We still played 6 on 6 – meaning we never crossed half court. The rules were different. 
You were either on offense or defense. 

I was super competitive with zero honed skills. The best girl on our team had a lot of interest in playing collegiate ball. Truth is- if our team was going to win- she would be playing the whole game, scoring most of the points. 

Coach assigned me to play offense. Knowing what I know now- it was an obvious choice. My small build created no difficulty for  an opposing player to see the court, her teammates or the hoop. My extra large feet supported by scrawny ankles and toothpick legs were not easy to pick up and move. I was slow and slight. A bad combination for defense. Coach wasn’t planning on needing a sub for the offensive squad and could give all of my reps to the star player – so clearly the right spot for me was offense. I didn’t care that my chances were limited. I loved being part of the team and playing the sport in whatever drills I was a part of. 

A few years later when we moved to Pennsylvania- I entered a region where the women’s game had advanced to 5 on 5- full court. I had grown quite a bit, increased my competitive edge and was expected to be proficient at offense and defense. 

Defense was challenging- Mostly because of all the rules against physical contact. 
It was never a problem for me to make certain the girl I played against didn’t score…because every time she got close to getting around me or putting up a decent shot- I’d physically impede her ability to do so. 
Coach had to repeatedly blow his whistle to stop practice to teach me what a foul was and why I couldn’t do what I was doing. 
The first five games of the season ended the same way- I spent most of the fourth quarter on the bench having fouled out of the competition. 

Coach finally told me- “If you want to play for me – learn how to stay in the game.” 
I had to get better at defense…
Coach explained to me that if you had an idea of what the offense was going to do, you could defend the score. We scrimmaged against the JV team every day in practice. They ran the same plays we did…

So I got it-

I knew what the girl I was defending was planning on doing- and I simply didn’t let her do it.  I became a better defender literally instantly. 
When it came time to play other teams- Coach gave me the scouting report of the girl I would be assigned to defend. I knew whether she preferred to drive to the basket hard the whole way, pull up for a jumper, or lob the pass to the center. 
I knew what she wanted to do- and I cut it off. 
I became a very proficient and strong defender. 

But here I was in my life 35 years later letting the adversary claim victory after victory. 

The moment my sister asked the question, my heart initially sank… 
“Why was I so weak at times…?” I wondered. 
In that same moment God taught me… I immediately knew the answer. 

It was all about God’s law of opposition. Everything has its opposite.  I was beginning to more fully understand my spiritual gift of feeling God’s Spirit super strong. I could at times very easily hear Him…
And with that gift, came the opposite.
And I had not been playing good defense. I knew- that always before God needed me to show up for Him in specific strong ways- the adversary would work a bit harder to rattle me. 

It was like a pendulum. It swung high in both directions. 

I was so grateful to finally know and understand. I have a pretty good idea how the adversary will want to score on me. And I know how to stop him. I just need to be honest with what I’m feeling. Negative energy doesn’t at all mean I’m “off”.  It’s a sensitivity, and that’s a gift. It means I better be playing my best defense and then be willing to be all in when God calls my number to do his work. It would be easy for me to sit at the end of God’s bench with my eyes cast down at the floor. It would be easy for me to rationaize that there are many more qualified than I to step in.

Thats not how I’m going to show up on God’s team. I’m working to be ready- bold and aggressive when I get the chance to play for Him.- Leaving it all on the court when I get my opportunity.

-JC

Magic “7- Layer” Cookies

1 cup soft butter
1 cup granulated sugar
⅔ cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

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1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup milk chocolate chocolate chips
½ cup toffee pieces or chopped nuts
1 cup toasted coconut

Cream butter and sugars with an electric mixer on medium high for 2+ minutes or until fluffy. Hand stir in egg and vanilla extract; don’t overmix. Add dry ingredients all at once and mix until fully incorporated. Add 2-3 Tablespoons more flour for high elevation. Scoop out approximately 24 -2” balls of dough.  Gently roll into graham cracker crumbs.  Flatten slightly. Place on greased or parchment paper on an aluminum cookie sheet. Layer on the top each cookie: butterscotch chips, milk chocolate chips, toffee pieces or nuts, and toasted coconut. Bake at 375 degrees for 9+ min. Remove from the oven and drizzle with Caramel Sauce. Sprinkle with mini semi-sweet chocolate chips.
Let set. Share!

Caramel Sauce

1 cup sugar
6 Tablespoons soft butter
½ cup cream (room temperature)
½ teaspoon sea salt

Heat sugar in a saucepan on medium-low heat.  Stir every 30 seconds. Sugar will initially clump together and then melt and turn an amber color. After all the sugar pieces are melted, remove from heat. Stir in butter.  This mixture will splatter a bit until mixed in.  Stir in cream and salt.  Let cool until ready to use.