We’ve all heard it said, “You only get one chance to make a first impression.” This is true. However, time and time again we have had the privilege of watching people exceed our expectations and prove that change is possible. There is always room for hope.
Five
years ago, this overgrown, reserved 13 year old came into our lives. He seemed
to lack self confidence except when he had a basketball in his hand. I would say that 90% of what he talked about
was basketball and how he was going to play in the NBA. During our first summer together he took part
in a job readiness program. At the end
of the summer we would bring in businessmen to do mock interviews and they
would decide who they would choose to hire for a job. When all of the interviews were done, I was
asked if the young man had been around for very long. I told him no, questioning why he would ask. He mentioned that the only thing the boy
seemed to talk about was basketball. However, it seemed there was much more
inside of this boy than what he was allowing people to see and that he was
confident that this was going to be an amazing young man. I couldn’t agree
more.
The
next couple of years I watched this young boy struggle in many different
ways. He soon found himself in high
school, having to sit and watch his peers play the game he loved; not being
able to participate due to ineligibility.
You could see that this was bothering him but he wasn’t sure how to
handle it. His first response, as is for
many teenagers, was to be angry and look for others to blame. However, after a
few months that seemed to last forever some things started to change.
He
began to look inward rather than at the ways he had perceived others had let
him down and he took personal responsibility for his actions. He started
applying himself at school and at home. He began to understand the importance
of hard work in all areas of life not just basketball. This didn’t happen in a
vacuum however. He had people who believed in him and gave him a chance despite
his past. Little by little this boy began to transform into a young man right
before our eyes. He had always had
dreams, but now they were too close to “throw in the towel” and stop fighting
for. No one ever doubted his natural athletic abilities. What he needed were
more people to believe he could become a good student, to see something more
than what was on the outside. Just like that businessman during his mock
interview. And he had to make the decision to fight.
This past month he was able to walk
out on the court with his family and celebrate senior night with plans to
continue pressing toward his new dreams. He has now become the friend that
everybody wants to go watch play ball. To sit in the crowd and watch this young
man accomplish something so many had doubted was such a joy for us! More than that, seeing this young man make
decisions in light of his relationship with Christ and seeing his concern for
other young men who need someone to be “in their corner” has been a blessing to
our family.
