Let's start two weeks ago. Eve was on floor at gymnastics doing her usual tumbling. She was doing a round off back handspring back tuck. She has been competing these all season and has had them since summer. She did several really good ones! A lot of height, pretty good form! She went to do another and she balked before her back tuck. ( in gymnastics terms this means she stopped or paused in between tumbling elements) Well she went for it anyway and crashed on her head! It looked really bad! The coaches around gasped for air and ran over to her. I happened to be there that day bc Jasy was in her class. I stay and watch Jasy while she is practicing bc she is only there 2 hours and it would be pointless to drive home and back. Eve got up and walked away stunned. She wasn't hurt, it did knock the breath out of her, but it did more damage than that. It scared her! It put fear in her that she has never had before in this sport! I didn't know it at the time but it started a wildfire!She went to her next event bc it was time to rotate but she had this fear in her mind that thrilled the devil to death! She went to her next practice a couple of days later and that's when it all started to unfold. She had this awful mental block that just wasn't letting go. The harder she tried to overcome it the worse it became. The coaches tried to help her every practice and some days she would end up doing it and leave practice so happy and full of pride that she overcame it but that was only short lived by the next practice when she found herself standing in the corner of the floor stressing over "what ifs"! We were trying to encourage her with scriptures and feed her with His word. That He would always give her strength and guide her with His wisdom. I found her in her room reading scriptures and praying that He would take away her fear. I watched her in agony struggle with something that weeks before came so easy to her. After weeks of her struggling I began to get frustrated with her when she would come home and I could tell that she was giving up on herself! She was now not doing her back handspring either, a skill she learned when she was 6 or 7. By Thursday night of last week I was mad! I was mad at her for giving up and I was mad at God for allowing the devil to take this from her when she has been praying for over a year for God to use her through her sport to be a witness for Him. I could see Him working through her with gymnastics too!So why now?! I had a heart to heart with the Lord Thursday night. By Friday morning he had showed me exactly what I needed to see. That this was not only for her benefit but for mine as well. I needed this to teach me to give it to Him and be patient. To keep my mouth shut when He was trying to make our girl stronger in faith. To learn that he only corrects those He loves so they can be used of Him in a better way. To learn that I need to pray without ceasing and pray for His will not ours. That her blessings may not always come in a form of a medal or by joys of helping the team get first. That the best joys come after you make it out of the flame and come out with a happy heart rejoicing always! We all know that the sweetest rewards are those we get in Heaven! After I saw this and God gave me the best peace that I have ever had, it all made more sense.So let's start here from yesterday...In warm-ups before the meet she nailed her back tuck and she looked like a whole new gymnast! She was so happy, out that enjoying herself with no worries in the world! You could tell that she was allowing God to do what he needed to do instead of her trying to do it on her own! Jason and me were up there in the stands having a shouting spell and I was already in tears! Then it was her turn to start on floor. It was their first event of the night and I could tell when she started that it was her and not God. She got nervous when she went to compete floor and she took it back and that’s when she messed up.
Eve didn't have a good meet yesterday (had the worst meet ever and she ended up not doing her back tuck and got a 5.850 on floor) She didn't medal on anything BUT I was so proud of her bc she had the best attitude after wards! She wasn't mad, she wasn't pouting; she was happy for her team mates who did well. She cheered them on when they got medal after medal as she sat with nothing around her neck.She ran up on podium when her team took first place with a smile on her face knowing that she didn't contribute to their win. I watched her graciously step down and allow another team member to take her spot on podium bc she thought they deserved being up there more than her. She said that she learned from this meet more than she has ever learned the whole time she has been doing this sport and that it will make her a better gymnast!! She told me that she felt like a winner a true Champion bc deep down she finally saw what she needed to see. That she needed to give it fully to God and not keep taking it back! WOW!! All from a 10 year old little girl!! I was one proud mama! We shed lots of tears last night and I think she will go into that gym this week with a whole new attitude! The preacher preached about David and Goliath yesterday morning and she went down to the altar and prayed. She said it was just what she needed! She said she wants to be the ordinary person who no one would expect to defeat the enemy, and be used of God! To come from no where and give it back to Him.
She has a renewed soul and spirit and I hope she can continue this way! I am so happy for her! Who knew I would be so happy of such a crummy meet!? God has a way of working things out! I bet a lot of people there thought, "Poor Eve, she did awful"! She did do awful in that aspect but boy did she win eternally!
Stay posted...this David is coming back, this time with more faith than ever! She wants a rematch!
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