Why am I so drawn into watching the Women’s World Cup?  Why am I enthralled with Team USA?  What is it about them that has captured the hearts of millions of Americans?

I CANNOT stop myself from watching every second of the U.S. Team in action in the World Cup.  Not just once, but multiple times.  I am drawn into watching the night replay of the games.  I want to see every interview, every analysis, every tweet, every article.  I feel a part of it, and it’s not just me.  Whether it is the highlights of the USWNT on every commercial break on ESPN, player interviews on every morning show, tweets from the stars, being voted ESPY Best Play, etc., it is obvious this team has grabbed our hearts.  We have become a part of this.

I love sports because sports are never just simply a game for entertainment.  It’s only a game, but it’s more than a game.  Dreaming, training, competing, unifying, cheering, winning, and losing.  Life.  Expressions of our souls.

Team USA has given us a glimpse into our deepest emotions and desires, and as we participate with them in this WC we have been given something special- hope.  Inspiration to never give up.  Reasons to dream.  Longing for a team.  Desire to be victorious.

Sure, maybe we would like to this incredible spirit and stamp it with the U.S. flag, and I think that is okay.  Flags are surface level and temporary.  The feelings stirred by this team of destiny go much deeper than temporary to the very nature of every human spirit.

We are all made in the image of God, and the desires that we all have in common are a reflection of His stamp on our souls.  As I immerse myself in this World Cup, I realize I do so not simply because I am a sports-crazed lunatic (though that is true at times).  I do so because I see and experience God in the themes of this U.S. Women’s Team.  For me, fully enjoying the moments of these wonderful World Cup weeks of July is a part of fully enjoying God, His nature, and His nature in me.

The glimpses of God I have through this USWNT in the WWC:

Always BELIEVE.  Never give up!- The Wambach goal at the brink of elimination is one of the greatest moments in sports I have EVER seen.  I thought it was over, and then…it wasn’t.  And it was beautiful.  Some of the greatest moments in life come when we allow God to take us out of our despair and from the brink of death to the new life He has for us by the miracle of His grace.

TEAM- 21 as 1.  Those watching every game Team USA has played in the WWC have seen a coming together, a transformation into one that is beautiful to behold.  Common desire.  Common purpose.  No doubt in my mind they will win Sunday because of this common passion.  The sweetest thing is that they had to do this together.  Complete Unity!  Oneness.  The God who made us created us out of a desire for community.  The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who are one also desire for us to be one in community.  Jesus Christ prayed before he died that all believers would be one in complete unity.  Great sports teams give us an image of what a unified team can accomplish, and it is BEAUTIFUL!  My spirit is most full of God’s spirit when I am in complete unity with the body of Christ, and we are serving and worshipping Him as one.

We want to be a part of something bigger than ourselves- I don’t care if you are a member of Team USA, and you have spent your whole life dreaming and working for this.  Or if you are one of the millions at home watching everything, wearing the apparel, tweeting encouragement, etc.  We all desire to be a part of something bigger than ourselves.  Team USA deserves to be honored for their lives of work to get to a moment that has a deeper impact than they could have ever imagined.  And those of us watching at home, well, we are a part of it too.  We have our own moments in life with a chance to be our best, and Team USA has given us courage to try and hope to succeed.

Soccer is…well, it’s FUN!-  It’s incredibly fun actually.  It’s exhilarating.  It’s 90 minutes of expressing and feeling every emotion.  And Team USA lays their heart out on the field with everything they have every single game.  That is why it is fun for them and fun for all watching.  Why and how does FUN speak to me of the nature of God?  Because I stinkin’ love sports to the very core of my being, and I believe God made me that way!  He wants me to be touched by all these themes, passions, and emotions of sports that glorify Him, but He wants me to find great joy in ALL good things He has created for us to enjoy!  In the words of a great Olympic Champion, Eric Liddell, “I believe God made me for a purpose, but he also made me fast. And when I run I feel His pleasure.”  Whether the members of Team USA recognize it or not, God made them to play soccer and part of their enjoyment is feeling His pleasure as they play.  These girls are great athletes and incredible soccer players, and the best part about it is they love it!  It thrills them!!!  Our God takes great DELIGHT in watching His children love what He made them to do.  And so do I.