The Day I Put the Ball in God’s Court

But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33

As I’m writing this, it’s Day 1 of the 7-Day Lockdown in South Australia; our second time around this COVID dance. Practice was cancelled on Monday due to two discovered cases in the state, and the next day our game got cancelled, along with all the other plans anyone had this week.

I can’t quite explain it, but I’ve had this feeling enough to recognize it as the peace beyond understanding Paul talks about in Philippians chapter 4. I’ve realized that I am so undeniably not in control of my life, that the best option I have is to surrender to the Creator of life.

“Okay, Teige, how am I supposed to do that?” you might ask.

I know. It’s not that simple. And I believe it’s why Jesus tells us in Luke 9:4: “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”

Surrendering our lives to the Lord is a daily decision; and certainly not a light task!

We make thousands of decisions every day. If God showed us the results and growth that stem from the decisions we make throughout our lives all at once, we would probably be overwhelmed to the point of paralysis. I believe that’s why He walks with us through different seasons where we’re pressed to surrender one aspect of our lives at a time.

And even that can be a real battle.

The thing that makes me so sure that surrendering is our best option, however, is the fact that whenever I’ve surrendered any single aspect of my life, God has showed up every time.

Including the day I chose to surrender basketball.

. . .

Basketball is a big part of my life; no surprise when your dad is a coach. My dad is also a big family man (love you, Dad!), which showed when he gave up coaching basketball at the higher levels to coach his kids. My two older brothers each had their turn. When Weston graduated high school and I was entering my junior year, it was mine!

Unfortunately, (for them;) the school where my dad was coaching Weston didn’t accept his proposal to switch to being the girl’s head coach. Thus, we moved.

Yeah, no biggy… my whole family moved towns so my dad could coach me.

Legends.

Well, here’s where things get sticky. With my Dad and I already settled at the new school, I felt an odd tug at my heart that God didn’t want me to play basketball.

. . .

Yep, you read that correctly. And as you can imagine, this began to way heavy on my 16-year-old-self.

What am I supposed to tell my dad? My family?

What’s the entire school going to think of me?

Okay, let’s be real – umm the entire state of basketball people, God?!

But the more I questioned, the more I just knew this was God’s desire:

“Do you trust Me?” I heard over and over, and then,

“Is basketball more important than Me?”

“No, no, no! I want YOUR will for my life… but God, my dad quit his job and my whole family just moved… for ME!! I am going to seem CRAZY!”

“Do you trust Me?”

There was no getting out of this. I knew in my heart that I had to make a decision, and I knew the decision I wanted to make – but I also knew the decision that wouldn’t be accepted. So, I battled with how I would break the news to everyone for about a week. And then…

I remember it so vividly – I was sitting in my dad’s office on a Friday afternoon after school, obviously distraught, and my dad asks me:

“Teige, you’ve seemed down all week. Is something bothering you?”

It was time.

“Dad, I know this is going to sound crazy, but…”

Oh boy.

“I think… God doesn’t want me to play basketball this year.”

Phew! There. I said it – with tears streaming down my face. And suddenly the feeling that came over me wasn’t just a relief from saying it, but a release from actually following through with it. Of course I gave my dad quite the shock, but it was as if a weight completely lifted off my shoulders; that peace beyond understanding. God’s presence told me that was all He wanted to know:

Was I truly willing to give up basketball if it meant following Him? Would I choose God, or Basketball?

I looked at my dad, who, with that patient, loving, fatherly expression, said, “What makes you think that?”

“Well, this might sound even crazier…” I said, awe and joy flooding my heart all at once, “I actually think God was just testing me!”

. . .

Now some may say this next piece of the story is a coincidence, but I don’t believe in coincidences – I believe in the awe and wonder of my Heavenly Father who loves me more than I can even fathom or imagine, and who is constantly talking to us if we’d only live with our eyes wide open.

Guess what our preacher spoke on that following Sunday?

Abraham and Isaac!

If you were to ask my dad’s perspective on this story, he’d let you know how crazy he thought I sounded, and believe me, he still thinks I had a bit of a crazy moment- maybe would even go so far as to say he was the “Isaac” in this story. But there’s no doubt in my mind I was listening to the Lord’s prompting. Why else would it have stuck with me and become such a defining moment of my life? And my entire basketball career for that matter?

Any time things don’t go as planned: championships are lost; college recruitment goes to shambles; other people (or myself) question my talent; fear of injury or the unknown future floods my mind; I have to endure Covid interruptions throughout the season –

I hear that still small voice:

“Do you trust me?”

I know that as long as I seek Him first and trust His plan for my life, He will be faithful to take care of me – no matter what.

. . .

That season we went on to win the 2013 New Mexico State Championship, 51-27. Can you guess what my family’s landline was at that time? _ _ _ -_ _ _-2751! Coincidence? I think not!;)

. . .

“So Abraham called that place The Lord Will Provide. And to this day it is said, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.” The angel of the Lord called to Abraham from heaven a second time and said, “I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” ~ Genesis 22:14-18

“Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers.” ~ Psalms 1:1-3

. . .

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Until next time, always be joyful, never stop praying, be thankful in all circumstances,

Joyful JoT <3

P.S. There’s so much in-between this story and the present time, but after the Covid lockdown mentioned at the start of this article, we went on to win the 2021 NBL1 Grand Final too! To God be the glory, honor and praise forever, amen!