Soul-savin' sports

This past week marked the end of one season of sports for Sam and the beginning of another. This year, he tried his hand at basketball for the first time. He played in a league with the local baptist church and made friends with a couple of boys on his team who attend the same elementary school. Now he regularly chats with them at lunch or plays with them on the playground. Being socially awkward myself, it makes me happy that, at least so far, he seems to be pretty sociable with his peers.

Sam enjoyed playing basketball and he learned quickly. After the first game he learned that no one played by the rules and if he ever wanted a chance to score, instead of passing the ball to his teammates, he would have to head straight for the basket whenever he got the ball in his hands. So he became a ball hog, whenever he got a rebound, and actually scored quite a few baskets during the season. He was also, apparently, an open book at basketball. On the evening of his final practice, while he and Paul were still there, I received a knock at the door. I was already dressed in my pajamas. It was dark outside, after all. The front porch light was off, but every other light in the house was on, making it plenty apparent that someone was home. I decided to try to sneak a peek to see who was at the door, assuming it was probably the neighbor. Who else would be knocking on my door at that hour? Well, with it being dark outside and the porch light off, I couldn't see who it was, so against better judgement, I opened it. There stood a nicely dressed gentleman who addressed me by name. He then introduced himself as being from the basketball program and that he had led the devotional at the last basketball practice where Sam had indicated that he was ready to accept Jesus into his heart! I gave a hearty chuckle and told him that Sam was actually at basketball practice at the time and I had a crying baby upstairs. He excused me to go to my crying baby and there was no saving of Mormon children done that night.
Then, at his last game on Saturday, the assistant coach come over to us during the game and, with an amazed look on his face, told us how smart Sam is. He said he had been quizzing Sam on math problems and Sam got every one right. He said he asked Sam what 900*3 is, Sam knew the answer, and then he asked him how he knows that, to which Sam replied "my mom taught me how to do that." :-) Later, when we were trying to learn from Sam how this conversation even started, Sam admitted that he had told the guy "I should be in the fifth grade already." Humble, he is not.
Now we have already moved on to his spring season of soccer. He is playing for the same league as in the fall, where rules are strictly enforced and no one cares about your salvation.


"We bear testimony, as His duly ordained Apostles— that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of God. He is the great King Immanuel, who stands today on the right hand of His Father. He is the light, the life, and the hope of the world. His way is the path that leads to happiness in this life and eternal life in the world to come. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son."
- from The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints