“You’re Killing Us Out There

I still have many memories of my athletic career, with occasional dreams of soaring above the rim and crashing the ball thru with the defender helplessly falling down…with perhaps even a bit of “trash talk”. Boy, I seem to get better with age. Every so often I’ll wander out on the driveway with the grandkids and show them a few moves. My most famous one is “Starks for Three at the buzzer”. (you old Knicks fans will remember). I do think the rim has gotten smaller in diameter as the ball doesn’t seem to swish like it used to…… hmmm.

One of my good friends from my high school freshman team really liked to shoot. I can remember the coach, red in the face, yelling, “Floyd, you’re killing us out there…you’re killing us”. (I could hear a lot from my position on the bench.) Talk about instilling confidence in your players, this guy was from the Adolf Hitler school of coaching. A good coach knows his players…. their abilities, personalities, and then works with them to improve… and he doesn’t yell “you’re killing us out there”.

I believe that the Lord is coaching us to greatness. He knows us well. He knows our strengths and weaknesses. He knows our tendencies. He’s always looking to make us better, to bring us to the ultimate success. Even in difficult situations, he is there to help us. When we fail, he is there to pick us up, to encourage us, to help us recover and do better in the future. The Lord is patient with us. He always has the Big Picture in mind for us.

So, while it looks like the future of my athletic career is pretty limited and I probably won’t make the N.B.A.; nevertheless, my life in Christ is unlimited… the skies the limit. In truth each of us can make it to the Heavenly Hall of Fame… soaring thru the air, making 50 foot shots, doing 360 degree dunks and never hearing “Touhill, you’re killing us out there”… but instead hearing “Well done good and faithful servant… come and inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” (Mt. 25:34)

7 thoughts on ““You’re Killing Us Out There”

That was so encouraging, Dad.

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Dave –
As an old basketball player myself, and also as a player with you on the POH team,
I’m pretty certain of a few things things about your time in the League:
1) you have been a great teammate to all, and Coach to so many of us, similar to how you described the Lord here
2) you probably remember a lot of individual plays — and maybe even some full games — when you may think that you were “killing us out there!” Maybe; maybe not.
3) But at the end of Time when we all sit around and talk about the All-Time Greats, no one will remember those bad plays or lost games (not even you!) All we will remember so fondly is that brother who had a knack for making all his teammates better, who never lost Hope –no matter what the score, and that teammate who just loved to play the game.
Thank you.

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