How to Become an MVP

 I suppose it is possible that you do not know that the Milwaukee Bucks are National Champions.  And I suppose it is possible you do not know that this was made possible in large part by the efforts of one player, Giannis Antetokounmpo (whose name, I am very happy to report, is so famous it even is corrected by the spell-check software). If that is you, please know that Mr. Antetokounmpo is a man gifted with a very unique combination of physical attributes and skills making him one of the very few human being on planet Earth who can play basketball at an elite level.  For this reason, he is a multiple winner of the Most Valuable Player award. He is an MVP of the highest order.

What makes him a person that we mere mortals should listen to is not his athletic prowess but his mental approach to the game and to life. I suggest it is his life perspective as much as his skills which make him an MVP.  The attitude he brings to his work is one that can make anyone an MVP in God’s eyes:

“Antetokounmpo’s news conferences were must-see events, and my favorite moment came midway through the Finals when Sam Amick, a national reporter for The Athletic, asked him a great question about his lack of ego. 

‘I figured out a mindset to have that when you focus on the past, that’s your ego,’ Antetokounmpo said. ‘I did this. We were able to beat this team 4-0. I did this in the past. I won that in the past. When I focus on the future, it’s my pride. Yeah, next game, Game 5, I do this and this and this. I’m going to dominate. That’s your pride talking. It doesn’t happen. You’re right here.

‘I kind of try to focus on the moment, in the present. That’s humility. That’s being humble. That’s not setting no expectation. That’s going out there, enjoying the game, competing at a high level. I think I’ve had people throughout my life that helped me with that. But that is a skill that I’ve tried to, like, kind of — how do you say, perfect it.’” (Jim Polzin | Wisconsin State Journal July 22, 2021)

“Humility. Humility. Humility.” (John Calvin) The stuff of which MVPs are made.

"We Found You, My Child!"

“My child is missing!!” Can there be a more sinking feeling than when a parent realizes that harsh reality?

 During our trip to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Jill was waiting for our grandsons and I to return when she overheard a frantic mother trying to describe her two-year old daughter to a security guard.  The little girl was in her stroller while the parents were watching the fish swim and somehow, she managed to escape the stroller and was missing in a minute. Or was she abducted? The father was off looking for his precious child. Jill asked the mother for the daughter’s name and size and clothing description and offered to help in the search.

 As we started our drive through the rain on our way to Michigan, our grandsons safely seated behind us, a prayer went up for the missing girl.  Days later when we headed home Jill wondered out loud, “I just can’t stop thinking about that missing girl. How can we find out if they found her?”

 Then I read about Guo Gangtang. Mr. Guo had for 24 years, searched for his son who was abducted while playing outside their home as his mother was inside preparing a meal.  Mr. Guo wore out 10 motorcycles as he travelled throughout China in his search. This week the police were able to produce a DNA match for the lost child and the search was over. As the boy turned man met his parents in a three-way hug of a lifetime, Mom said, “My darling, my darling, my darling. We found you, my son, my son.” ( Parents Who Never Stopped Searching Reunite With Son Abducted 24 Years Ago By Vivian Wang and Joy Dong https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/14/world/asia/guo-gangtang-china)

 What is the work of the church and its community of believers? To listen for stories of lost children. To join in the desperate search for them, like a Shepherd who never stops looking for the one who wandered away; to be motivated by a love that outdoes even Mr. Guo’s relentless effort to find the Father’s lost children.

 God invites us to join in the search which we are assured ends with God wrapping every lost child in the best hug ever, while whispering (or shouting?) ‘We found you, my child!”

Are Butterflies Surprised?

 She told me she saw a butterfly. She was a little sad, because her Mother had always told her butterflies were a sign of Fall’s return.  “No,” I assured her, “they are a sign of summer, going from flower bed to flower bed. They are a sign of new creation, new life.”

As I thought about that conversation this week, I was reminded of an old cartoon in which the characters consider butterflies like this:  "Do caterpillars know they're going to be butterflies, or does God surprise them?" (Family Circus, Bil Keane, Feb. 23, 2007)

 Last fall I watched the caterpillars crawling for safety.  It was a slow, long crawl to a destination I did not know. I don’t know if they did either. Sometimes you just keep crawling along until you stop.

 This summer I see the butterflies in our backyard enjoying the plants. It appears their long crawl was rewarded. I wonder what it was like that first day when they awoke to find themselves flying instead of crawling? Was this a long-winter’s night dream come true or a shocking revelation? Did they remember that they used to be able to only crawl? Or was the act of flying so wonderful that they just forgot all about the crawling life?

 I don’t know if we will wake up after our long sleep and be surprised. ‘I can fly? I can fly!’

 Maybe it won’t be literal flight we enjoy, but we will feel so unburdened that we feel as if we are ‘walking on sunshine.’

 Until then, while it might seem like a long slow crawl, you can know the lightness of being, enjoying the surprise of being a new creation on the inside. (2 Corinthians 5:17)

 This summer, keep your eyes peeled for a butterfly. They come as a sign of second chances, of fresh starts, of healing, as their wings sing a song of new life sent to you.

Surprise!

Sparkler or Candle?

 I was watching our teenage grandsons wave sparklers last night.  It was fun while it lasted, but that wasn’t long.  The longest a sparkler will burn is four minutes. Impressive. For a sparkler. What you get with a sparkler is a big flash of light, some popping sounds, and some sparkles of course.

 But what if you want a longer light show? Buy a candle.  Candles can burn for hours. Add some salt and you get an even longer burn.

 What you don’t get with a candle is a big flash or popping sounds or sparkles. I guess the type of fire you want to light depends on the effect you are after, the length of the burn you desire.

 How would you describe your faith in God? If you have taken the time to read this, well, I am guessing you are more candle than sparkler.

 Still, if your faith journey is being lit by a long-burning candle, remember that they don’t burn forever. Be sure to visit the candle store often, so you are always ready. If your faith journey is being lit by a sparkler presently, then find your way to the candle store, or soon you will find yourself walking in the dark.  You can choose to walk in the dark, but eventually you bump into things. Ouch.

 Or worse, you get lost.

 Sparkler faith is fun to see in people. You see the big flash of faith, and they make lots of popping sounds and sparks. For a while. But candle faith is what prevents the darkness from overcoming the light. (John 1:4-5) 

 Think about your faith journey. Is it a fast-burning sparkler or a long-burning candle? Do you have enough light to get you all the way home?