| Basketball for Jesus When I was younger before I was over the hill, let's say back in 1970. I had received the Lord definitely and completely through Campus Crusade for Christ. When I believed Hebrews 13: 6 , it was a done deal and I realized Salvation was forever. That was it for me in mind and heart. Jesus would never leave me nor forsake me, no matter what. So now, all I could do was try and serve him, nut how? (SEE Jesus never lost a sheep) I certainly wasn't a speaker, nor a writer, all I was gifted at was doing reasonably good at being a student and an athlete. This was my life besides my more secretive passion of the outdoors and fishing. For there, God's spirit ruled supreme without the insane domination of man's world. But what was I to do for the Lord? O.K. I was great at basketball (notice the modesty, and who says white Jewish boys can't jump) so here's how I could serve the Lord. There was Campus Crusade outreach program called ‘Athletes in Action’. I could join them, and beat the hell out of our opponents and then testify that Jesus gave us the strength and grace to do so. Strange witnessing ploy and a strange game I thought. But oh well, I can play that game at least it will be for Jesus. Besides I had been praying for certain games we had at the university level and Lo and behold miracles happened. Halleluyah !!! I saw my balls curve in mid air, and in this case I'm referring to a basketball shot. swish and in they went. Whoa, awesome Lord, or in those days I think we said "Cool". I saw the opposition part just like the Red Sea, and "Cool" an easy lay-up. And Viola, our team was victorious and I was a hero, but amazingly nobody wanted to hear about how Jesus helped me and those I did tell thought, I was a bit of a religious nut-case. Because I was. !! But anyway, I figured, if I joined ‘Athletes in Action’ or ‘Basketball for Jesus’ as others called it, I could serve the Lord by playing basketball. So I got the forms and then found out to my dismay that I needed my local pastor's recommendation. What !!! I didn't like the churches I went to, I didn't like going to ‘Thank God its Friday’ Christian meetings, they weren't my kind of people. They were church kids and it was more of a social event than a Christian event. I wanted more Jesus not more people. I didn’t want fiction but the real thing, Let's get into the action and do something.. I kept thinking to myself, I wasn't a chatter, I didn't play word games very well, or ever want to learn.. I wanted action !!, so let me play basketball for Jesus. I can defeat the opposition and smite the enemies of the Lord. But I couldn't fill out the form very well, as I had no church recommendation as to my character, and though I sent my application away anyway, I never heard back from them for obvious reasons. Discouraged, but unwilling to go to the boring church system just to supposedly serve the Lord, my quest went on. Besides I started to wonder when I saw brochures about "Wrestling for Jesus" and then I think it was "Boxing for Jesus" from this same Athletes for Action group. I wondered if I would have become like them and say the Lord gave me the victory over my devil of an opponent because Jesus loved me and not the opposing team. Wait a minute said I in my heart, ‘I can't do this’. I can't physically beat the daylights out of an opponent and then say Jesus made me do it, and give Jesus the credit for something that was NOT His Will. Ridiculous !! So I finished up my basketball career at University, playing on the Canadian National Team three years in a row and just kind of kept my thoughts and witnessing low key and rather private. For even at the nation level, what should have been an experience of a life time, was truly unimpressive as each individual played for themselves and the furtherance of their supposed glory. It just wasn’t the type of team I was looking for, and the goal just wasn’t what my new Christian perspective wanted. I mulled over all these thoughts and priorities, and completed my studies in secular worldly science and graduated with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology (the study of bodies in motion). From there I was faced with the cold cruel world with diploma in hand. And what did I revert to...you guessed it old faithful for although I could have played some professional baseball, I choose to try playing professional basketball in Europe and had a team lined up and waiting for me in Italy. But again secretly in my heart, I really wanted to just serve the Lord. That's all I wanted to do in life. I didn't care about glory and fame and money which discouraged my parents no end. So I boarded a plane for Europe with Britain being my first stop-over so I could take in the sights, and after a few harrowing experiences , found a Christian group that took me in and taught me more of the ways of the Lord. (See Miraculous Meeting testimony) Praise God, I no longer had to play basketball for Jesus nor suggest that Jesus was a mere basketball Coach and physical trainer. I could just tell any and all about the Lord that saved my life from nothingness and the emptiness of playing Basketball and other things for JESUS. We can work together and even play together with Him if we just put Him and others first. Now I had something to talk about .... JESUS, our common Creator, and the ONE who loves us all despite the competitions in life. Love In Jesus David Jay Jordan Comments to Davidjayjordan@yahoo.com Compare also Extreme Sport Hedonism |
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