It’s interesting as you stand six feet off the ground for 14 hours what you learn. When you’re tired from the morning’s drive and the lack of sleep the night before, hungry because once again you didn’t pack enough food (or any cash for that matter), and inwardly whining about the pain in your lumbar region, just what you think about. Thoughts drift in and out as you stand up there… What am I going to eat when I’m done? Should I have called that lift? Nahh…. they’re only thirteen. That cheesecake last night was amazing. Oops… how long has that coach been calling for a timeout? Will my ears ring again tonight (for the record, yes)… But perhaps the most common occurence on the ref stand (other than actually paying attention to the game… which I do actually do) is the little realizations I come to during the hours I’m up there, volleyballs whizzing by my face. I’ve chosen to share some with you, because I feel as though when you come to realize something, it’s meant to be shared.
The things I figured out while on the ref stands.
1. There is nothing cuter than a 13 year old who is wearing spandex that are way too big.
2. A good ref builds the confidence of their line judge and makes them feel encouraged after they make a decent call. You can tell by the happy face they get after you tell them “good job” with that half-hazard smile you manage to squeeze out as you try to both motion which side 0f the court gets the ball, and balance the whistle (your best friend and arch-nemesis) in your teeth.
3. Short, chunky girls with big glasses and freckles aren’t good at volleyball. But they sure are adorable.
4. Reffing enters you into a family. Even though there were only four refs there (including me), they each looked out for me and made sure I was not only confident and not getting trouble from the fans, but also that I was improving as the day went on. It’s nice to feel supported.
5. 13 year old down-refs are mostly useless.
6. Blowing a whistle all day sure works up the thirst. Also, use your Fox 40 whistle upside down to prevent hearing loss.
7. It is a travesty to put polyester on a butt as nice as mine… and navy no less? I mean, really. Who thought of that as a reffing uniform? I mean… my pants literally go up to my belly button… and they have a side zipper. I’m only 21! Oh, the humanity. 
(Feel free to watch this to understand….http://www.hulu.com/watch/10333/saturday-night-live-mom-jeans (and yes, my pants are from JC Penney).
8. It is impossible to say my last name right on your first try. Especially if you’re 13.
9. The ref stand is the perfect place to… well… pass gas. I know, inappropriate… but so true! Sorry… I ate cheesecake last night and I’m lactose intolerant…. so yeah.
10. The average 13 year old Ace cheer goes something like this: clap clap snap clap “A” smack, clap, clap, “C”, clap, snap, clap, “E”, snap, clap, clap, clap, clap, smack, clap “ACE”!!!!!!!, clap clap clap clap clap!!!!!!!! SQUEAL!!!!!! snap clap clap smack clap!!!!!!! Clap snap clap SNAP CLAP SQUEAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ACEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
11. When you tell a down-ref to pretend like she’s stopping a freight train with the loudness of her whistle… she takes it to heart and severely damages the hearing abilities of the poor girls that are just trying to sub in and out of the game in peace.
And Finally…
12. I realized that the view from the ref stand is often what we think of as how God sees us. To many Christians, he’s just a guy who blows a whistle, keeps you in line… and doesn’t let you get away with stuff. But as I pondered this on the ref stand, I realized something. Not only is he like the ref who keeps you in line and puts rules in place that you have to follow in order to win the game, he’s also the coach…the fans…and the teammates. He’s the one that sets out the game plan and puts you in a place where you can be used. He’s the one that yells at you, “HEY! You can do it!”, and he’s the one who is beside you the entire time to walk through the game of life with you. He’s the teammate you can count on (like a libero), the one that not only tells you to give everything to him (like a setter), but also the one that blocks things from coming your way (like a front row player). He’s your biggest fan, your guide, your boundary setter, and your friend. And it’s funny, because he’s so much more than that. I think that we too often limit God, and think that he’s either just our referee… or he’s just our referee with a little coach sprinkled in. He’s the guy that tells you what to do, and punishes you when you don’t do it. Instead, he’s the one who sees all, knows all, guides all, and experiences it all with y0u. Mmmm Mmmm good. He is so worthy of praise.
Also, he gave me the most beautiful sunset to enjoy on the way home. I just wanted to give God a little shout out for that, cuz it was gorgeous.
I enjoyed this.