Are you old enough you remember the days of "choosing sides?" Two captains would be chosen and they would take turns picking their teams from all those gathered to play.
It was a terrible experience...especially if you were last to be chosen. That meant you were the least wanted of all those gathered to play. What a humiliating experience! (I say that because I was often the last to be chosen.)
If you, as captain, were lucky enough to get the right picks then victory was almost certain for your team. Choosing sides filled the air with anticipation and whispers of "choose me", "choose me..." None of us wanted to be humiliated by last place but we all wanted to play on a winning team.
The whole experience was one of emotional scars for life, but if you got the right team, what fun that was! You were sure to win and usually did. If only Billy was your pitcher then you had it made. If you could get Sam for a batter then the game was yours. Getting the right players made a win almost guaranteed.
As I read a passage in Psalms this morning I thought back to those days. It made me wince and smile all at the same time.
The Psalmist wrote,
"In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
and the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.
What can mere people do to me?
Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.
I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
than to trust in people."
In one version the text reads, "the Lord is on my side." As I read those words my mind flashed back to the days of choosing sides and I imagined being picked to be on God's team, to be on his side and he on mine.
The Lord is for me, he's on my side!
What a game this will be!
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