Huddle Up
So encourage each other and build each other up,
just as you are already doing.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 NLT
It’s the time of year when I see an awful lot of huddles. I never played team sports myself, so I don’t really have any personal experience being in a huddle, but I’ve seen plenty.
The girls’ soccer teams huddle up before their games start, at the end of each quarter and again at the end of the game. The girls all gather around and lean in close to hear what the coach has to say. If the girls win, the final huddle comes with a mighty cheer!
At this time of year, our TV at home stays tuned to the college and NFL games throughout the weekend. In between plays, the team circles up to hear from the their leader, the quarterback.
This weekend we attended the wedding of a young man I used to babysit. It was a really beautiful day for a wedding! The last thing I expected to see there was a huddle. And actually, I didn’t realize a huddle was what I was watching until the ceremony was over.
See, Sylvia sat down the aisle from me on our friend Dena’s lap. As we all shuffled into the reception area afterwards, Dena said “I need to share a Sylvia silly.” (I’m so grateful we have friends that notice the unexpected observations of our kids, too!)
Here’s what happened: Towards the end of the ceremony, the pastor asked the family and bridal party to join the bride and groom. The couple’s parents stood from their seats and moved forward, and the bridal party did the same. They all gathered in closely around the couple and reached out their hands. Before the prayer could even begin, Sylvia leaned into Dena and asked “wait, are they gonna do 1-2-3 Falcons?”
And why shouldn’t it have been a huddle? A wedding is a celebration! Just like so many of the familiar huddles she’s been part of in her soccer games.
Sylvia's observation has had me thinking since Saturday. Huddles happen as a team; you can't have a huddle of one. Huddles happen regularly, regardless of how things are going. They are basically a scheduled check in. Huddles require a lot more listening than talking. Huddles require physical closeness, and hopefully build closeness in mind and heart.
These are all habits and traits I want to build in our family! I wonder how it could change our family if I try out "huddle prayers"? Praying together can be scary, but maybe not so scary if it's framed in a familiar practice. I think I might start with our bedtime prayer, just one night this week. What might that look like for your family?
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