An Unexpected Lesson

This past weekend I participated in the alumni women's basketball game at my alma mater.  Let's just say, I'm 31.  And I was the oldest participant.  The basketball skills have been on the decline and haven't been practiced other than in the basement with Aria.  I went in hopes of seeing former teammates and to get a little exercise out of the deal.

I remember going to the alumni game when I was in college and right after I graduated and noticing a difference between those of us who had just graduated and those "older" women who had kids.  Well, now I'm an older woman with a kid and those young whipper-snappers could eat me alive.  In all honesty, if you could use some sort of time transport machine and put me in college at the same time as those younger women, they probably would have eaten me alive then, too.

To get to my story, personally, I don't think an alumni game should be taken very seriously.  Sure, you should run up and down the floor, play defense, and go hard to try and score.  I don't think you should be trapping and hitting people in the face to try and get the ball.  It is all for fun. 

I think a couple things lead to problems in this game.  First, there is a lack of participation.  There were only 10 women there.  Let's be honest.  Who is in shape to play a full game without any subs?  Second, there are huge generation gaps.  I didn't know half of the 10 people there because they were so much younger than me. 

Back to my story.  After being trapped and hit in the face, I let my temper and competitive nature get the best of me and I threw a little elbow to get one of the girls off of me.  About two minutes later I realized how stupid that was and that I violated my own complaint that it was "just an alumni game."  At the next dead ball I apologized to the woman I elbowed and she very graciously accepted. 

After the game, I talked with my dear friend, Gina, about the incident.  Gina actually had a similar experience last year in the alumni game where another player took things a little more seriously than Gina preferred.  But Gina's comment to me was,

"This is not where I get my self-worth anymore."

Holy cow has that comment stuck with me!  Such terrific insight, my dear friend.  Specifically relating to college and basketball, I sure wanted to be good and noticed for it during those four years.  I did determine my own self-worth based on things like basketball success when I was in my early 20s.  After college, I searched for my self-worth in my teaching and coaching jobs.  I wanted everyone to like me and think I was doing a great job. 

But now, I don't have any of that.  And you know what, my self-worth never came from any of it, either.  I just never saw it.  My self-worth comes from God.  I was made in His image to honor Him.  The price I'm worth was paid when Jesus came to earth to die on the cross for my sins.  I am beautifully and wonderfully made because I am a child of God.  There is no other reason.  It doesn't matter if I was a good basketball player or if I still am.  It doesn't matter who my friends are or the possessions I have.  What matters is I have a Savior who gave me life and I am supposed to live it for Him. 

Wow!  Such an excellent lesson came from an event where I was slightly annoyed I chose to participate.  However, the person it came from doesn't surprise me in the least.  Thanks for the great perspective, Gina!  It is something I will continue to think about in many areas of my life!