A little perspective

This weekend I worked a basketball tournament, volleyball tournament, a freshman district tournament and 4 parks and recreation league basketball games. It was a lot of fun but I’m pretty bushed. Several of the games I officiated came down to the last possession to determine a winner. The main reason I officiate so many games and sports is that I’m a sports nut! I’ve loved sports since I was old enough to play them. I’ll even watch a good hockey or soccer game on tv is there’s nothing else on, just to watch sports. The running up and down the court helps me with some good cardio workouts as well.

Tonight at one of the games a parent was yelling at me about a “rule” that as he said was “in the rule book” (it’s not – and isn’t a rule on any level of the game as far as I know of), but boy was he worked up about it. So I’m riding home tonight thinking about the intensity of some of the coaches, players, and fans, when the Lord granted me a little bit of perspective. I’m sure I will still get worked up when my team doesn’t play well or gives a game away (like Tennessee did today). And don’t misread me; in years past when I have coached I have been every bit as intense as the next coach. I’ve also been known to “give it” to the referees on occasion (ok – probably on many occasions). As I now see some of those referees that I used to give a hard time when I was coaching, I will joke with them and tell them I have “come over to the dark side” now that I’m officiating. So here’s the “perspective” part… you ready? It is JUST a GAME!

I understand to many these wins and losses are important, but in my estimation they are not nearly as important as the couple I know who recently found out (within just a couple of weeks of each other) that he is “terminal” with cancer and she is now battling cancer as well. These games matter little to the young couple I know facing an uphill battle to keep custody of their infant child. These wins and losses mean nothing to the relatively young man I know in a fight for his life with Leukemia or the pastor I know who also is battling Leukemia. These losses pale in comparison to the heartache and sense of “loss” of the woman who this week watched the death of the man who’d been her husband and lover for the past 64+ years.

So the next time I’m getting worked up over “my” team not playing well or I’m officiating and a coach or fan is wearing me out about something, I pray the Holy Spirit will whisper in my ear, “Hey Tom, remember, It’s just a game.” I still want to win (my philosophy is why play the game if you don’t really want to win) but I hope I remember that there are people all around me who’d love for their greatest concern to be whether or not their team “won.” I’m just sayin’…