BASKETBALL & OTHER HOOPLA

Our lives have been consumed with basketball for the past few months.  I don't mind, since it's one of my favorite sports, but my husband and children kind of get tired of being gone almost every night, running here and there from town to town and from game to game.

Junior High basketball ended their seasons a week or so ago.  Yesterday afternoon, our high school girls' season came to an end, after their second loss in the Regional Tournament.  They are understandably disappointed.  The high school boys lost, as well, but they get to play again tonight, and will continue to play until they lose again. Our youngest son is playing city-league basketball.  It's exciting!

It's really hard to not get all wrapped up in basketball, or any other sporting event (or ANY event, for that matter!) especially those of your children's.  It's exciting and it's fun!  But, yesterday, as I was listening to a game on the radio, I heard an advertisement from a church that brought all of that "hoopla" back down to where it should be:

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training.

They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.

1 Corinthians 9:24-25

So, yes, I will still cheer! Yes, I will still encourage the teams and players.  But, let me never forget that all of this "hoopla" is temporary.  None of it really matters.  The prizes, crowns, and awards received here on earth will all go away.  I want a crown that will last forever.  That's the crown I want for my children. Don't you?