Imagining Excellence

My Destination Imagination (DI) team are NC State Champs. They were actually the only team in their division. However, they also scored through the roof, and in my opinion, would have beat a hundred teams with that score! They got the highest score of all the teams there on the portion of the competition called "Instant Challenge" which was an identical task for all the divisions competing. In fact, they got a near perfect score on that section. I am bragging and I believe that is the second time this month...er...week....but after working 9 months, two days a week, and giving up every Saturday for the past three months (or so)for these kids, and half my house to their DI clutter, I figure I can indulge.

It was not always easy. They were a brand new team with only my daughter even vaguely familiar with what it took to complete the task successfully. Midway through the season, I told my husband to shoot me dead if I EVER said I wanted to coach a team again. However, the past few weeks, the team suddenly began to understand how to use the meeting times effectively, and we all began to see the hard work coalesce into something that looked a little like manna from heaven.

When they performed, I was as spellbound as anyone. Some of the judges were crying. The whole production had to be done without words, and every aspect of the entire thing was produced by the kids with no adult help or suggestions. They mixed incredibly appropriate and moving music, choreographed an amazing fight scene, built a beautiful set, costumes, and props from scratch, and met the technological challenge that was required. Even the team sign, which is not a judged element, was exquisite. It was made with such love and skill and attention to detail that it alone made me want to cry.

As we set up in the morning, I prayed with my team, the team that has hated me at times for my insistence on practice time being used wisely without background music, or texting, or goofing off. They have learned many lessons about respecting each others' ideas, submitting the needs of the one to the needs of the many, learning to listen to even the quietest member, time management, abiding by rules, respecting the home they are working in, working hard at abstract, long term goals, thinking in ways they were not used to thinking, integrating creativity, technology, and story telling, and reaching a deadline with a project that was not just "good enough", but "excellent."

We knew before we ever went to States that we were the only team in our division. We knew that unless we disqualified, we would be the State Champs. A few times, I heard a team member say, "It doesn't matter. We are going to win anyway."
"That's true," I told him, "Do you want to be 'ok', or do your best?"

And so, as I prayed with them, I asked God that He would help them to do their best, not as for men, but as for The Lord. Because in my opinion, that is what we should do with every breath we take.

And when their music started, I could hardly breathe for the beauty of what they had created. When they took their final bow, they had not been handed the NC State Champion title...they had earned it, abundantly and overflowing. They may end the year hating me, but I LOVE them.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, [24] since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.

Luke 12:35 (NIV)
“Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning,

*If interested in learning how to form a team in NC, go to idodinc.org
Other states can go to the national site, idodi.org




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