Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The basketball season is in high gear as we began the road to the Final Four this past week to see who will be the 2022 College National Champions. Many players dream of one day playing for big money in the National Basketball League, some having no other plans for life if their dream doesn’t materialize. How sad to think that many athletes will consider themselves failures because their basketball dream ended.

I am reminded of a story told by one of my favorite Christian writers and evangelists, “Chuck” Swindoll.

While growing up in Texas, he, too, had the dream of playing professional basketball. In Junior High, he made the Junior Varsity team, and according to him, was improving rapidly.

His dad worked at a machine shop and made him an iron hoop which he attached to the garage. He practiced every day with on old, worn-out rubber ball. He just knew that one day every college in America would be seeking his services on the basketball court.

His wish for the coming Christmas was to have one thing only – a new basketball. He began to drop hints to his mom about his desire to get a new basketball.

One evening before Christmas, he saw a box beneath the Christmas tree, correctly shaped to possibly hold a basketball.

Much to his surprise (and I’m sure disappointment) as he tore the wrapping off and opened the box, it wasn’t a basketball.  It was a world globe.

That afternoon he enjoyed locating geographical spots on the globe as his mother called out … Singapore, Montreal, New Zealand, Moscow, etc.   What a thrill!

This was many years ago. Today, he still admits he likes basketball, but thanks God for his mother’s wisdom. As an ambassador for Christ, he is more excited about hope on the globe, instead of a passion for putting a ball through a hoop.

“Chuck” has been a force in the world, sharing about a Savior who came to save people from their sins.

 

If you have any questions, or comments, please write to Get High on Life, P.O. Drawer U, Reserve, LA 70068, call 504-881-0113, or e-mail hkeller@comcast.net.