As I got older, I was sad to learn that it was staged and there were tricks used to make it all look real. Years later I watched again, still being entertained, but now more interested in story lines and the men behind the costumes. Then more years went by and I met real wrestlers. You know the kind that wrestle on mats in gyms.... no special costumes or story lines.
I learned some other things as I got older though too. I learned that wrestling wasn't just a sport or something to be entertained by. It was something that I had to do in life. Wrestling with toddlers, vacuums, pets, and the very real struggle of cleaning up after all the above.
Wrestling doesn't just apply to objects. I had to wrestle with thoughts, feelings, emotions, circumstances, ideas, and sometimes people. These wrestling matches seemed to be less entertaining than even the physical battles with toys. They required patience, perseverance, wisdom, and understanding. They tested my beliefs, challenged my ideals, and ultimately made me face who I really was.
We all wrestle with life. Every hard thing and challenge becomes something to be overcome or beaten. We see them as matches to be won or lost. Is it always about winning or losing, or is it sometimes about the training? Every good wrestler must train his body, work out, learn all he can so he doesn't get injured or injure his opponent.
I think sometimes we need to view our life circumstances like practice sessions. Preparation for the bigger matches, bigger opponents, wrestle mania. This past year I have seen more practice than I could shake a stick at. Yet, I wonder if maybe I wasn't supposed to be involved in the match at all. Maybe I was supposed to sit and watch and cheer. Maybe it was about watching the opponents and learning from them before my own match.
What are you wrestling with today? Did you pay attention to the opponent when watching from the sidelines? Are you listening to the Coach? Is this your match and your opponent....or does it belong to someone else? This match may not be about winning or losing, but simply about learning and growing.
