“Summing up: Be agreeable, be sympathetic, be loving, be compassionate, be humble. That goes for all of you, no exceptions. No retaliation. No sharp-tongued sarcasm. Instead, bless—that’s your job, to bless. You’ll be a blessing and also get a blessing.” (2 Peter 3:8-12 MSG)
Have you ever attended a young child’s basketball game at your local community center or neighborhood elementary school? Did you notice how serious the coaches were, intense and perhaps inclined to believe that were coaching at the professional level? Were the coaches serious about their volunteer role and did they look like they had to win if they wanted their contract extended, much like the highly paid coaches in the pros? I’ve been one of those coaches and I have seen others demonstrative tactics on the sidelines. Our role, as coaches of young children, is to develop young talent and have them appreciate teamwork and promoted taking instructions, all in a positive way.
Once, sitting in the stands as a spectator, there was a game that was very close. The “blue team” was trailing by one point. There was less than 30 seconds on the clock. Parents are yelling. Siblings are shouting. Cheering was replaced by criticizing seemingly everybody; coaches, referees, players, and other fans. I thought, “Wasn’t this supposed to be a child’s game?” Anyway, the coach of the “blue team” calls a timeout and sets up a play, hoping to get the victory. Play resumes and the point guard on the team brings the ball down the court. He dribbles to the right, as opposed to the center of the court as the play was designed on the clipboard during the timeout. However, as I said, he dribbles to the right side of the court and there he is trapped by two players and the out of bounds line that serves as a stationary and unrelenting third defender. Two men are open near the basket. The clock is running down. If the guard could have just jumped and lofted the ball over the defenders’ outreached hands, his teammates would have had a very high percentage shot to win the game. Time is running out. There is not lofting of the ball. There are only 10 seconds on the clock. The little boy, pressured by the defense calls a timeout. It seemed like a smart thing to do and perhaps in his mind, this was the only alternative. As the boys ran over to the sideline during the timeout, the point guard was met with the thundering voice of his displeased coach. He probably was heard in the parking lot, “Who told you to call timeout?” The youngster was dejected, for a diminutive moment. The team takes the floor and is unable to score and the game is lost. For a minute, the read team was cheers and the blue team in tears. However, very quickly after the game, the children on both sides went being just kids. The coach was seen leaving and mumbling and saying words that used to be curse words in my day and still are in my opinion. The timeout tarried in his mind for days, not hours.
Now perhaps the timeout scolding described above was not appropriate, but in my lifetime I have seen it happen at all levels. As it relates to Christians living a faithful life and faithfully doing the things we have been taught to do as witnesses for the Lord, as I heard one minister, my older brother say on more than once occasion, “There are no timeouts in the Christian life.” Expanding on his words, let me add my own adage, “The only timeout is when time is out!” Remember that saying today and stay on the court of life as a witness for the Lord! Pay attention to your Coach! Do well! Keep Him well pleased! You can’t lose! Victory will indeed be yours! Be blessed!
“Let us keep our eyes fixed on Jesus, on whom our faith depends from beginning to end.” (Hebrews 12:2a GNB)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King