Tetherball Nightmares

Nathan Stam
Children/Communications Pastor

I have tetherball nightmares. Seriously. I was reminded of them as I drove through carpool the other day and saw a few kids playing tetherball. There was a girl who was brutally taking a little boy to school. I started to feel the trickle of a tear make its way down my cheek.

Let's start with a confession: I am extremely uncoordinated. (Case in point: if you ever see me trying to clap during a song in the worship service I will not be clapping on the right beat much to the enjoyment of my wife.) 

When I was a kid I used to play tetherball all the time at the Triangle Swimming Pool. It didn't matter who I played, they would hit the ball and I would flail unsuccessfully at it every time it came around the pole. As the ball would pick up speed, the rope would wind tighter around the pole, and my hopes for my first tetherball victory would be crushed yet again. Swing and miss. Swing and miss. Swing and miss. The crushing agony of defeat.

I experienced the same emotions in my early years of being eligible to play on one of the ABC softball teams. Don't worry, I won't mention any names here, but let's just say I probably led the league in strikeouts. That's right, in softball. I was so bad that whenever I even made the slightest sort of contact with the ball my team (and sometimes the opposing team) would cheer for me. But mostly it was swing and miss. Swing and miss. Strike three!

So, that's me opening up and being honest with you. Sharing some of my deepest humiliations with you. Now, let me ask you a question:

When was the last time you led someone to Christ? When was the last time you shared the Gospel with someone who didn't know Christ? I mean, really shared the entire Gospel with them, and gave them a chance to respond?

If you are like me these are not comfortable questions. I can feel guilty and get defensive real quick. But the bottom line is this: if Christ has loved me and I believe He is the only way to have a restored relationship with God why would I ever hold that information back? Now, it's true, I might share the Gospel with a friend and be totally rebuffed or even ridiculed. It might seem like a swing and a miss--just like I used to miss all those tetherballs and softballs.

But in reality, when we share the Gospel, WE NEVER SWING AND MISS. We are being faithful--as ministers of reconciliation--and we leave the results up to God.

So, let's get to it! Let's make a difference in our community as lights that shine in the darkness! Swing for the fences!