Sacrifice

This morning on ESPN there was a touching story involving two high school basketball teams.

On the day of an annual game between two nearby high schools, the mother of one of the main players for team one died.

Naturally, his teammates and coach reached out to him, offering sympathy and support in his time of loss. The coach even offered to cancel the game. The player insisted that the game go on.

Rather surprisingly, when game time came, the team two was very sympathetic about the situation, and even though the player whose mother had died wasn't there, they expressed their support and respect for him before the game began.

Shortly after the game began, the player whose mom had died showed up at the gym. He wanted to play, but there was a problem. For him to play in the game after his coach had left his name off the roster because he was not expected to be there, there would be a technical foul called for him to enter the game. The other team would be allowed to shoot two technical free throws.

He wanted to play and his coach wanted to let him, so, in spite of the technical foul call and the two free throws in the middle of a close game, his coach inserted him into the game.

The officials did what they had to do and called the technical. The opposing coach requested that they not do so, but state rules are state rules and the refs had to make the call.

A senior player from team two stepped to the foul line and twice shot the ball about three feet in front of himself, purposely missing the free throws.

With the blessing of his coach and teammates and with cheers of approval ringing down from the stands, this young man made a sacrifice for himself and for his team. And it cost them. They eventually lost the game to the team with the player whose mom had died. But they left knowing that they had done the right thing.

Sacrifices are not easily made. Especially the ones that cost us something real.

But sacrifice is the example of our Heavenly Father and He is honored and glorified when we set ourselves aside, even at great cost, and make sacrifices that are blessings to others.

God Himself made the greatest sacrifice ever known to this world, when He went to the cross as Christ and poured out His perfect blood that sinners like you and me could believe in Him and His gift to us and be cleansed from our sins.

Has He called you to make some sacrifice to someone today?

Maybe it's to someone who will not notice or appreciate what you do.

God will notice. God will appreciate what you do.

If you have no other reason to do it, do it for Him.

Remember what He has done for you.

Please pray. For revival. And for others willing to sacrifice whatever is necessary for God to be glorified.

In His Love
Walter