Sports

I am not a sports enthusiast, but recently I have had an opportunity to do some driving for pay. The person I have been driving generally listens to 1070 The Fan while en route. Sometimes I'm annoyed, but sometimes I find food for thought, such as a discussion of role models and heroes. There was an amazing lack of these in my younger days. My college voice teacher, Patricia Thomas Scheuer, is/was the only teacher/role model I remember with any fondness. She helped me over some some of my fears. For me, fond memories "took off" when I was in Africa for seven and a half years, surrounded by people who loved me unconditionally. This atmosphere was the incubator for God's major transformation of me while I was there. Now, though, fondness languishes somewhat, though not entirely. Most of the time I think sports are overrated. But then there is the building of fond memories for many, the discipline, the camaraderie and learning to persevere through pain for a common goal. My parents protected me from pain. I learned to protect myself from it eventually. Now, physical pain has pretty much taken over, though the Lord has helped me overcome emotional pain. The lessons and memories mentioned above can be picked up from other things, such a godly families, church life, music and theater. They had to be, since God's people in the Bible didn't seem to be athletically inclined (though sports were mentioned by way of example). God did not enjoin sports in the Bible. Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest, spoke of the "law of antagonism," i.e. the necessity of war, and how everything outside of us, i.e. negative things, or even natural things, will put us to death unless we fight them off (my comment - or harness them for use). The lesson for me in this is that I need to learn not to be afraid of those (negative or natural) things, i.e. view them as a victim would, but instead approach and view them as a victor would.