When I coached at Northern Illinois, a person in the community made some very simple crosses for anyone on my team who wanted one. They were very unique, made from some cheap yarn but in a very creative way. In the world’s eyes their value would have been a few cents, but a few of my players really loved them, and put them up on their lockers.  Of course we gave tours of our locker room, and once after a tour, I got called in.  It seemed that the crosses had offended someone who was taking the tour, and this authority wanted them taken down.  Just a simple cross, but its meaning was huge to the believers and to the non believers.

Take time to make a list of the hymns or worship songs you know that mention the cross: The Old Rugged Cross, At the Cross, etc. Yes, it is the symbol of the self sacrificing love our savior has for us - this love is an essential part of the character of God.

• Contrast the false narrative : We work our way to God with the truth that He works His way to us.
• Jims writes of unrequited love, i.e.,  love that is not returned. As a human we have all experienced this, and it is painful.  Even though the Lord could have forced us to love Him, He chose to create us with free will.  We get to choose to be in relationship with Him. Do you believe He feels sadness and pain when we do not return His love?
• Rich Mullins lived with Jim and his family in Wichita. When Jim and I would go out to eat, I would want him to tell me Rich stories, and he would want to know why my point guard turned the ball over so much. I love Rich’s music, and I wish he would put his songs in every chapter!  If you have “BoyLlike Me, Man Like You” listen to the entire song, or get it on iTunes. Which of these “Rich” images is your favorite?
• In baseball, we actually have a skill called the sacrifice fly.  In basketball, we often ask our players to give up individual glory for the best of the TEAM, but that concept is often hard to sell to young people.  On page 141 Jim writes, ”At the heart of the universe is this one principle: self-sacrifice is the highest act. The grain of wheat must die inorder to give life. The cosmos reflects the nature of the God who created it.” Do you have any stories with your team that reflect this principle?
• The Brennan Manning name story was very powerful to me and a great analogy to a question we sometimes ask God, How did you react to this story?
• Did reading John help you to understand Jesus? What is your favorite of all the stories in the great book?

This week, as you are working or vacationing, see if you can sacrifice a wee bit of something.  Maybe just not being the one who says where you are going to go for lunch, or even giving money to someone instead of getting that “thing” you wanted.  Sacrifice -  think how small your sacrifice really was in the scope of things, and sit and ponder the empty cross and the greatness of that sacrifice. The truth that Jesus died on this cross so we could live, so we don’t have to earn our salvation. Whisper a thank you to our Lord and Savior, then ask Him how you can love your players to model His love.

Have a week of awareness of his blessings.  They are all around you.

P.S.  I never told my players to take the crosses down.

Keep the Faith,

Jane