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Sacrificing For The Team
Team sports create unity among players to achieve a common goal of working together to ultimately win the game. Sports work to teach discipline, team work, and healthy competition. Whatever the sport, they all take determination, perseverance and commitment to be successful. The Bible says, “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" Psalm 133:1. 
 
Our daily lives are much like playing a team sport where we have to work together for the success of the team. I’ve never played a team sport like soccer or softball, but I have a team of my own. That team consists of my husband and our four children. Having a family takes determination, perseverance and commitment just like any team sport or group activity. This commitment isn’t always easy.
 
When my son, Connor, had leukemia at five years old I was at odds with my husband. We had been struggling in our marriage for a couple years, not understanding each other. Often we directed our emotions and negative comments towards each other at the hospital as we changed shifts from spending the day or night with Connor.

The social worker at Children’s Hospital warned us that additional stress on our child could be detrimental. She suggested we pretend to get along during the bone marrow transplant process and the following one hundred days of isolation for the sake of our child.

Winning the game of life is often sacrificing our own self-serving agenda for the good of our team. At the time of Connor’s bone marrow transplant I contemplated separation. I prayed for a miracle, knowing that Mark would always be the father of our children. I had my doubt that another man could ever love my children as much as their own father does. 

Mark and I handled Connor's leukemia differently. Mark wanted to spend as much time with Connor as possible, giving little attention to visitors. Together Mark and Connor watched hours of TV. In fact, Connor loved being in the hospital since we didn't have TV at home. Our other three children were jealous and angry that Connor was in the hospital where he could watch TV. 

As for me, I could not stand the mindless shows they were watching. I welcomed visitors who came to offer support, prayers, and encouragement. My desire to be with people gave Mark the impression that I was more interested in having a party than be with my son. Yet what I needed as an extrovert to get my energy was to be around people, since I was emotionally and physically drained. 

Instead of resenting each other we needed to understand and appreciate our differences. Usually the additional stress of having a sick child leads to divorce. Many times through divorce we exchange one bad situation for another. Fortunately we were both committed to strive for the unity of our family when we could barely tolerate one another.