It's More Than a Game

For years now, every Sunday afternoon (and often several evenings during the week) I drop my son at the gym.

He strolls in there. Alone. Shoes and a ball in hand. And he almost always finds a pick-up game of basketball.

Today instead of going to the grocery store during this time, I ran on the track up above. And every few turns I stopped to watch.

He played with one bald white guy with a pot belly. One super tall black man. Two men sporting man-buns and sleeve tattoos. One short little Asian guy with an amazing outside shot. A couple of mid-40s bearded men who pushed the younger people around a bit. And one kid around my son’s age with a three-inch afro who threw his arms around my son and lifted him clear up off the ground in celebration when he sunk a deep three-point shot.

All with my gangly white boy...the youngest on the court.

Different faces, different ages, different skin colors, different sizes, different backgrounds.

All with one common goal…a pick-up game of basketball on a Sunday afternoon.

He just plays with whoever comes to play.

And sure, it might be more comfortable if I dropped my son off with a few friends. Some kids his own age. Maybe some kids he knows pretty well from practice or school. Kids with common interests. Kids LIKE him.

But the truth is, in another month or so this boy of mine is headed to a new high school where he’ll be the bottom of the totem pole. A few years after that he’ll be off to college. Then before I know it, he’ll be out in the real world.

I’m sure he’ll see many new faces. I’m sure he’ll meet many new people with different backgrounds along the way. And I know without a doubt, every single one will have a different story to tell.

I want him to know what to do around people who aren’t necessarily LIKE him.

Because isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing here???

Isn’t that why God made people so very unique?

All different colors and shapes and sizes. Each one of us with a different upbringing and different interests and different beliefs.

And EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US with a beautiful story to tell.

Aren’t we supposed to step out of our comfort zones?

And love? And help? And listen? And connect?

I want my son to really SEE people. I want him to really LOVE people.

I want him to listen and learn from every person’s beautiful story.

I want him to know how to show up and PLAY…with whoever comes to play.

Gosh, I loved watching him today.

I just love that he is practicing so much more than basketball on Sunday afternoons.