Basketball, Jesus, and My Family

A few weeks ago, the congregation I attend here in Abilene (University Church of Christ) opened its Ministry Activity Center. We in the Churches of Christ still seem to be afraid of the word "gym," so we select creative names that allow us to identify things with cool-sounding acronyms. Thus, we now have the MAC! And it IS much more than a gym (four classrooms, a huge kitchen, great A/V setup)...but it's still funny to bring up the subject.

ANYHOW...I got a chance to play a little ball there this past Sunday night as our class had free reign of the place for a couple of hours. It's amazing how a simple game like basketball can draw folks in. That same night I had an opportunity to meet 4 gentlemen I had never met before. Each of them is "seeking" something; hopefully God will empower us to help them find IT/HIM.

It also gave me a moment to reflect on how basketball has influenced my family.

My father-in-law came to know Christ due, in large part, to basketball. He was living in the thriving metropolis of Howe, TX, with his wife, his son and his baby daughter (my wife). He knew some men from work who attended the Church of Christ there in Howe. They were starting a church basketball league, and they invited my father-in-law to join them. He loved basketball and anxiously agreed to play.

All of the families would go to watch the men compete against other congregations from around the area...and Robin's family would go to. The ladies would sit around laughing at their husbands as they longed for the glory days of their youth; meanwhile, the kids would run and play in the stands.

My in-laws didn't know Jesus...but they knew they enjoyed being around these people. So they started going to church with them. When they showed up no one asked them to memorize the "five steps of salvation," their opinion on instrumental music, or what they thought the Holy Spirit's role was in the Trinity. Instead they got to know them. They invited them into their homes. They made them feel welcomed in their church.

Were it not for those men inviting my father-in-law to play ball with them, I would never have met my wife. I would not have the three adorable little boys that Robin and I are privileged to raise. And in reality, I would probably have strayed from the Lord by now.

And it all started with basketball...