Tomorrow (Lord and weather willing) I am going golfing with a student. We both admit we are not good at golf. In fact, I will admit that I am better at golf than I am at basketball. If you've seen me play basketball, you could only imagine my golf skills. But for me, to golf for the sake of golfing isn't what is at the heart of hitting the links. Tomorrow when I meet up with this student, we will continue to build our relationship. We will laugh at each other when we swing and miss the ball, we will learn what one another finds funny. We will discover who is more competitive between the two of us. We will undoubtedly have a better relationship when we put the clubs back into the car in comparison to when we took the clubs out.
Essentially, this is what a great majority of my summer looks like.
When Mike (THE BOSS) asked me to lead this ministry, I asked him what he wanted me to do this summer. He responded that I should create an environment where I could meet kids and connect with them. I thought to myself, what are some things that I connected with as a kid? That was easy: Sports and Music. God gave me the abilities to do both things (although I don't count golf and basketball, but I give Him the credit for giving me the physicalness possible to try). If He gave me something to use, why waste it?
This summer, I will be using Hockey, Flag Football, Golf, and Music to connect with middle schoolers and interns for Christ. Amber has often joked that I just have kids meet to play sports and then tack the word "ministry" to it. Although I know she is joking, there really is indeed a reason behind why I am using these activities to connect with kids. And the reason simply is that I believe it will work.
Although the times I spend doing these various activities may not always, at least not right away, lead to conversations about God, the quality of relationships will be essential for the future. The kids that take slapshots at me when I'm a goalie could eventually trust me with the struggles of their lives. The youth that I jam with could grow in Christ before my very eyes. And the kids that laugh with me when I keeping putting my golf ball into the trees could be the very kids that I help lead to Christ.
Much like when the Lord met people where they were: "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them" (Luke 15:2), I will meet kids where they are doing things that we both love to do. Our relationships will be forever indebted to those who created these recreational activities. I bet the inventor of hockey would have never have imagined that the bruises taken by a clumsy goalie who loves junior high students would be the very vehicle that could eventually lead them to know Jesus. Thank you Mr. Hockey Inventor (especially for the goalie gear).
I am geared up to play some golf tomorrow. Hopefully the weather holds up. In preparation for tomorrow, it is essential to take golf lessons when you can get them. So here is one for the road:
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