Impact or lack thereof

Today has been one of the most frustrating days I had in a very long time. Not much has gone right starting at about 3:30 today. I had a frustrating day with my high school soccer crew in addition to a couple other frustrating things. We started out with team pictures NOT a soul on the team remembered that we had. Then could not get anywhere to practice the day before our biggest region game (the gym was not open and the fields were not in any shape to get practice on). I also had players who have committed to my program miss practice today for reasons unacceptable. One of the things that crossed my mind as the frustration in me mounted was, why do I devote my precious time to others just to have it disrespected. It is so frustrating to pour your self into something and see little to no return. I know that sometimes I allow things to frustrate me more than they should (and I assume lately it is compounded by my pregnancy), but it is so easy to sit back and think that I don't have time to put up with some of this junk that comes with all the things I currently have my self committed to. It is not worth my time or energy. But I think deep down there is a better more godly way to look at all of this. And I'll be honest in the heat of it and even currently it is difficult to see. But it even ties into something else that I want to post about ("The impact or lack thereof we have on others"). Even though I may feel frustrated and see no return currently does not mean that God is not doing his work. I have to remember that He has me here and committed to these things for a reason. And when days like this come I certainly need to remember I am working for him, not for other people. And all the time I am devoting is not for nothing. I will go ahead and share here why that is...I also have a u9 academy soccer team that I am working diligently to teach the team concept to. They really like to get comfortable in their "favorite" positions on the field and are often times bribed by parents to score goals. When this occurs a player who might be an all star keeper (the best in the academy) is definitely not going to want to play in the goal when she knows that if she can score goals she will get paid by mommy and daddy. So this weekend at our tournament I had a couple reluctant responses when I assigned positions. One in particular did not want to play in the goal (where her team needed her most) because there was incentive to score goals. Would it not make sense that there was incentive to stop goals??? That being said, I looked at the girls and explained to them very sternly the importance of being a team player and playing where they were needed for the team sake. I even had this conversation twice with them. That being said we wound up winning the YMCA Academy Icebreaker Championship this weekend. I will say I was frustrated with getting the team concept across to them (which most get) because some were just not getting it based on their response and attitudes (yes, they are 8 and 9 years old). But after we won as I was leaving my little goalie ran up to me and hugged me and left me with these words "Coach Anne Marie, Thank you so much for helping me learn today." Now this is the same child who was having some difficulty understanding why I ask them to play certain positions etc along with a few others she was not alone. So even though frustration may come with the job, God is still working and as long as what I am doing is with a pure heart and I am allowing God's work to be done and remembering it is all about Him and not me, maybe the frustration will lessen, maybe it won't, but just maybe others will see Him.