Four Life Lessons From Boys Basketball

Are you a team player?

Recently, I took some time to watch some six year old boys play a game of supervised basketball. It was entertaining and instructive to note the differing levels of ability and participation in the game.

Many of the boys were eager learners. They were keen to take the ball and run with it. In their excitement they forgot or hadn't yet learned the fundamental rule to bounce the ball. They also crowded the ball making it difficult for the ball handler to make any progress.

Their outward appearance marked a distinction in what team they belonged to. One or two wore the uniform of the team but were clearly not part of the team and not the least bit interested in the game.

When Sin Does Not Feel Like Sin

I felt ashamed.

Our five year old grandson asked one of those probing questions that the adults in his life didn't want to answer. No, it's not what you might be thinking....it's worse.

It was asked on the periphery of my attention.  When I heard the dreaded, "Why don't you ask Steve?" I felt an overwhelming urge to run from the room, but I was trapped. I had to formulate an answer to a difficult question that a five year old could understand. 

I bailed. 

I fell back on a stock, simplistic, unsatisfying, albeit correct catch phrase.