Our Upward basketball and cheer practices are starting at church this week. I’m glad for that.
I’m directing the Upward program at our church this year. Our boys have played for six years, and this is my fifth year coaching. It’s important to me. It’s one of my favorite things in the world. I think it’s a wonderful way to talk about Jesus and Christlike behavior with young people, and it’s a powerful outreach ministry for our church.
And directing has, so far, been quite an experience.
I had a boss 15 years ago who would say she had a “personal growth opportunity” for you when she had some crappy job she didn’t want to do that she was going to push off on you. I thought of that phrase when I considered my experience so far.
There are mishaps, crises, and so forth that I handle as well or better than anyone I know. And there are other sorts that are “personal growth opportunities” for me. I’m getting a chance to build some skills of mine that have atrophied, or in some cases weren’t ever there in any significant quantity. That is the approach for which I am striving.
Some of my troubles have been self-inflicted. Others come with the territory. All are opportunities to model behavior for those around me. What choices shall I make?
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