From pastor to basketball
Aspirations? Dreams? “What would you like to be when you grow up? This is a question most parents ask their kids at a young age. Kids, on the other hand, had ambitions and dreams.
I remember a time when many teens would ambition to become rock stars. Things have changed a little. Many teens now want to be YouTube stars and have inadvertently become one.
An aspiring actor asked a young lady’s father if he could have his daughter’s hand in marriage. The father said, “I would never let my daughter marry an actor.”
The actor said, “Sir, I think you may change your mind if you see me perform. Won’t you at least come and see the play?” So the father went to see the play, and the next day, he called the actor, “You were right. I did change my mind. Go ahead and marry my daughter. You can’t act, and you’re no actor.”1
And here is another old funny story. A young boy one day decided to make his desire to become a prominent writer. “I want to write things that the people will read worldwide, something that they will react with a very high emotional level such as scream, cry, get mad and make them suffer,” He said. Now, he works at a software company and writes error messages.
Now, here is an actual story featured on the website [email protected].
In the 1880s, James Naismith spent three years in a seminary but never became a pastor. He earned a medical degree but never practiced medicine. As a teacher at the YMCA Training School in Springfield, Massachusetts, he invented a game he hoped would hold his students’ interest in the gym during the long winter months. With a soccer ball and a couple of peach baskets nailed to the balcony above the hardwood floor, Dr. Naismith invented basketball and changed the world of sports.
He didn’t become what he set out to be. His life moved in an entirely different direction from what he had initially planned.
When the “Father of Basketball” died in 1939 at age 78, he had no idea what he had created. The game’s phenomenal appeal was still decades away! Like James Naismith, we may never know how our actions on Earth will reach the future, but God does. And on days when our future seems bleak, we can be comforted knowing that God set the course of our lives and knows where we’re heading because he’s leading us there.
End of article
When we think of the direction our lives have taken, we may find that we are living far differently than the life we planned for ourselves. Maybe you studied theater in high school and imagined yourself starring in Broadway musicals; perhaps you were the MVP of your school sports teams and dreamed of playing on a professional team. We all had an image of the life we wanted, but God’s plans for our lives led us in other directions. We may find ourselves wondering what might have been, but can you honestly say that you are disappointed with the outcome?
Life often takes us on unexpected journeys, steering us in directions we never anticipated. It’s completely okay to find yourself in a career or a place in life that differs from the dreams and aspirations you once held close to your heart. Though it may feel like a detour, remember that every twist and turn serves a purpose in shaping who you are meant to become.
Despite its divergence from your initial aspirations, your journey is not a failure but an essential part of your story. Each experience, whether aligned with your dreams or not, contributes to your growth and adds depth to the person you are today. It’s natural to ponder “what if” and wonder about the paths not taken. Yet, life has a way of redirecting us to places we are truly needed.
(Francis Kong’s podcast “Inspiring Excellence” is now available on Spotify, Apple, Google, or other podcast streaming platforms).
- Latest
- Trending
