faith unfaded

The popular Smash Mouth song popped up on my playlist while the grandkids and I were driving home from Gone Wild Safari today. They were half-singing, half-laughing in the back seat, and when the song kicked in, we all started singing a little louder. I’ve always liked the beat—fun, carefree, a little nostalgic with the shape of an L on my forehead—but this time, the lyrics hit different.

“Hey now, you’re an all-star, get your game on, go play…”

Somewhere between the giraffe and the alpaca as we exited the park, I realized I was singing along to a message I’d once ignored: you’re an all-star, but not because of performance—because you surrendered.

For years, I thought the only way to “shine” was to outwork, outgive, or outperform everyone else. I chased peace the same way I chased approval—at full speed. And when I didn’t get the results I hoped for, I called it destiny. I looked at people whose dreams were happening and thought, why not me?

But sitting there with the grandkids singing about being a rock star and cruising life’s back streets, it finally hit me that this season of my life isn’t about luck—it’s about surrender.

There’s no denying that I work hard. What looks like 24/7 play takes hours behind the scenes no one ever sees. But the open doors in my life right now aren’t trophies for effort—they’re evidence of grace. God didn’t need me to hustle harder; He needed me to let go. He didn’t withhold my dreams from me, I was the one standing in my own way.

I was the one clinging to anger because it felt safer than forgiveness.
I was the one replaying failures like a favorite song instead of writing a new verse.
I was the one who believed my dreams were too big for someone like me.

And yet, in the middle of that mess, God was patiently waiting for me to move aside so He could move in.

I am the walking embodiment of Psalm 37:4—“Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.”

For the longest time, I thought that meant if I checked all the boxes, He’d hand over my wish list. Now I see it differently. When you truly delight in Him, He reshapes your heart until what you want aligns with what He’s already planning to give.

That’s exactly what happened to me. I stopped asking Him to bless my plans and started asking Him to share His plans with me. I was willing to let go of every dream I ever had just to please Him. And wouldn’t you know—He handed me back the deepest desires of my heart.

So, no, I didn’t just “get lucky.” I got honest. I got healed. I got out of the driver’s seat long enough for God to steer.

Maybe that’s what being an All-Star really means—not performing, not proving, but participating in the life God designed for you. The one that’s been waiting on the other side of surrender.

If you’ve ever wondered why things seem to happen for everyone else, maybe take a quiet moment today and ask, Am I the one standing in my own way?