When I was in high school, basketball was my love. I’ve been playing basketball since I can remember, and high school ball was always the greatest thing in the world to me. I went to a school back home in Youngstown, Ohio that was a non-denominational but “Christian” school. I played ball my 8th grade year and my freshmen year with the coaches understanding and accepting the fact that i was a Seventh-Day Adventist and would not play or practice on the Sabbath.
Long story short, during my Sophomore year the coach decided he wanted to be a jerk and not let me on the team because I would not play on Sabbath. So there was a long discussion in his office about the entire issue and in the end, his mind was made up that this whole Sabbath thing was “foolishness”. So he told me that I either had to play ALL the time, or not play at all. I made the choice that my faith was more important than basketball and chose to not play at all and stay faithful to God. Basketball was my love, but I wanted to do things right with God.
From that, God rewarded me. I was faithful in the little thing and He blessed me with much. I was able to go to an Adventist school the very next year and play basketball for my Junior and Senior years of high school there. At that school, I was able to go on trips to different states, countries, etc. I was able to do more at that school than I could have ever done at home. I met people who will always be remembered. I met people that will be in my life forever. Basically, that small decision to not play basketball changed my life for the better. The temporary “pain” I was feeling was replaced with great rewards.
I TRUSTED in God. I hoped and prayed that something better would come from that. And it did.
But now, I am going through this thing where I am feeling like I can’t trust. Why is my faith so small? I know God is faithful and I know that if i continue putting Him first in my life, He is capable and will change things again for the better. This time it is a little more serious than just basketball, but why is it that I am having such a hard time trusting that things will get better? Just because the thing is more serious than basketball, does not mean it is too big for my God.
I know the story of Job and it was that very story that got me through the whole basketball thing. So I started reading Job again. I am hoping that by again reading his story, and by praying that I can remain faithful like him, I can be at peace knowing that things will work out. I want to just “be still and know” that he is God.
In chapter 42 of Job, it says that the LORD blessed the latter part of Job’s life more than the first. He made him prosperous again and gave him TWICE as much as he had before.
I wanna be more like Job.
