To me it was just a game, but to Ben, it was life. Playing is the most important thing in the world to him. "if you're willing to take time to play games with me, you must think I'm an important person!"
My other neighbor is 15. He's got a customized Honda motorbike with his name emblazoned on the side. He's on the basketball team of his school. I'm almost 30 and basketball is too hard on my knees. But last Sunday, I went with him to work on his free throws. I go to watch the first game of the season, and everyone on his team is so skinny and clumsy. It was just a game for me, but to him, it's the most important thing in his life right now.
I remember my dad coming to my basketball games when i was in pee-wee league.
back then, basketball was life. The fact that my dad came to my games to watch me, meant a lot. He was a doctor, with a busy schedule. But he always made time to come to my games, holding an icebox with lemon-lime gatorade. It made me play harder, to know he was cheering me on. Whenever I doubted that he loved me, I always remembered that he was there at my games.
but that was 15 years ago. Since then, I moved away to college. He joined the Army as a doctor. I don't see him for a year at a time now. And we've never been good at communicating.
Calling my dad is like pulling teeth. After I talk to my mom for an hour, I'm lucky if my conversation with him lasts 2 minutes. It's always about my health (he is a doctor after all), or the condition of my car. My mom is my biggest cheerleader; my dad is becoming a stranger to me.
But I realized that I've been waiting for my dad to change. I'm waiting for him to talk more, make more of an effort, be a better father. I'm waiting for him to come watch my games again. And I realized, I could be waiting his whole life.
So a few months go, I called his cell phone, out of the blue. He was surprised, I think. We talked for an hour. He talked about him: his work. his golf. The reunion he's planning with his junior high school friends. I didn't know those things were so important to him.
During our Christmas vacation in Korea, our family went to visit dad's childhood home, near Sookmyong Women's University. He hadn't been back there in 25 years, he said. He was pacing up and down that road, trying to remember the location of the house. His eyes were glowing. I've never seen him so happy, to be reminiscing about his childhood.
My mom flew out first, so it was my dad who took me to the airport at 4:30am. Instead of sending me on a bus, he surprised me by buying tickets for the just-built 43-minute light rail to Incheon Airport.
It was time to say goodbye. I crossed into TSA to screen my bags and he was still standing there. Unsmiling. Waving. The doors closed. I kept moving up in line, kept looking back to see if he was there. He was. I was walking off toward passport check, out of sight. Only then, did I see him turn around and leave. Tears were rolling down my face. It was the first time my dad saw me off like that. I felt like I did when he came to my basketball games. My dad was cheering me on again.
The last few months, I've called my father every week or two, usually at night when he's still at his office past midnight. We only talk for about 5 to 10 minutes. He always seems tired, busy, impatient to end the conversation. But I still call to ask about the things that are important to him. He's my father and I want to be his biggest fan. I want to be at his games and cheer him on.
When Jesus came to earth, he came for a mission. To redeem humankind, to die on Calvary. He had important tasks to accomplish. But he didn't just come for that. He also came to be at our basketball games. To show up at our Korean Culture nights, our SAT exams, our band concerts. To affirm us when we sing special music, when we're trying out for a play, at our bench press competitions. To cheer us on.
He's at your games, cheering you on. He's your biggest fan.
Even if it's your hobbies that take you away from Him,
He's still your biggest fan.
You're busy.
You have important things to accomplish.
You have your basketball games to prepare for, tests to study for, recitals to practice for.
But your heavenly father has dreams too.
He waiting for you to come to his game
He's waiting for you to cheer him on.
