Guest post by Courtney Schnee
As I was washing dishes tonight I recalled the conversation my husband and I had with our 3 year old over dinner. We have begun a habit of reading the Bible after dinner. Noah, my 3 year old, asked us to read the “story about when Jesus dies” from his Children’s Bible. It suddenly occurred to me how awesome it was to share the story of Jesus with our first born. And to see him grow into an understanding of who Jesus is. I realized that this is the best part of being a parent–discipleship.
The daily discipling of my children is the best part of being a parent. It is the most rewarding eternally, it is commanded by God and brings Him joy. And it brings me the most joy. Better than holding my newborn as she sleeps, better than seeing my toddler explode in giggles as I tickle him, better than seeing our kids graduate, get married, etc. The best part of being a parent is discipling them and sharing Jesus with them in our daily lives.
So then, what is the best part of Sports Outreach?
Is it seeing the number of participants increase each year? Is it competing in the sport programs we lead and winning? Is it feeling accomplished as we finish another season “successfully”? Receiving praise from participants for a well organized league? While these things are rewarding and important, they are not the most important. The best part of leading a sports outreach ministry is discipling and sharing Jesus with the few, or many, people we have been given.
I can recall the joy I felt after sharing my testimony before an adult volleyball game, praying with an unbelieving coach and the intentional conversation with a teammate over the course of several seasons. I am sure you have had the same feeling as you shared your faith in your sports ministry – there is nothing
like it. It is the best part of sports outreach and the best part of this life.
