How Do You Leave People?

     I was at a soccer game this weekend and during the game, I heard a group of students making fun of a player from another school.  They were shouting to him every time he came near by yelling his number and then yelling things to put him down.  He, literally, was not doing anything but playing the game. This is something that makes me so angry, especially as a coach when I hear such unsportsmanlike behavior, I felt myself becoming enraged inside the more it continued.  I finally, not being able to take any more, turned around to these students and said "Do you feel bigger now?  That was the goal wasn't it?"  As the words left my mouth, I began wondering if I had lost my mind...I mean seriously it could have ended up very ugly...and was I prepared for that? NOPE! But the words had already left my heart and came straight from my mouth.  I am happy to say that they actually stopped without another word said. I was shocked, and my mood shifted to more irritated simply because I don't understand how people can be so hateful. 
 I was already wondering why I was at the cold rainy game.  I didn't feel like my presence was needed there, feeling like it was pointless, like I was pointless, but God had told me to go and I wanted to be obedient. Im not going to lie, I questioned it.
 There are a couple kids on one of the teams that I am close to, I have known since they were in 5th grade, and I wanted to see play.  After a very close game, being tied most of the game, the team I went to see lost in the end.  It was heart wrenching for them.  When the boys came off the field, the two boys separately at different times came directly to me first in the crowd, I was surprised they each spotted me so easily.  They were crying hard and they threw their arms around me for comfort, words of encouragement and reassurance.  I was speechless inside, but spoke my heart to each of them differently looking them in the eye.  It was in that moment I understood my purpose...the importance of me being there was in that very specific moment.... in those words of affirmation that evidently were needed.  Another parent tapped me on the back after the second embrace and the wiping of tears and said "I'm so glad you are here".  I have never seen this woman in my life to my knowledge, so I just smiled for lack of knowing even what to say.  I literally walked out directly to my car and left and went home.  My heart was heavy.
I am not sharing any of this for accolades.  I am not in need of praise or pats on the back for any of it, that is not my point.  I only share this because of the importance of being obedient to what God asks, even when, especially when it doesn't make sense to our human minds.  Our job on this earth may be unclear at times.  We may know our callings or we may not have yet discovered it.  Regardless of your calling and whether you recognize what it is, there is one thing that is clear to me, its not as complicated as we make it out to be.....simply...we are to love, speak truth to, and defend people like Jesus.  We are to leave people better than you found them.  We are to hug the hurt, kiss the broken, befriend the lost, and love the lonely.  EVERY. SINGLE. DAY. PERIOD.  
Philippians 2:3-4  Do nothing out of self ambition or out of vain conceit.  Rather, in humility, value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.