Back in 1994 we had finished a long ministry at a church in Warren, Ohio. At the request of our denomination at the time, I had gone to a church in crisis to deal with a nasty little issue. It was something that was very difficult, something that, even though I had been trained for, I would have been happy to have avoided forever. But, we jumped in with both feet. Very stressful.

One night Marsha showed me an ad in a local paper saying they wanted someone to report on high school football games that fall. I had no hobbies and no way to blow off steam from the pressures of pastoring that wayward little church. Wouldn’t it be fun to do something a little different for a while? It would only involve ten Friday nights. It also only paid $20 a game but they covered gas and you got into the games free and got to sit in the press box. I thought for a bit and then thought, sure, why not? And soon I had a genuine press pass and a pencil and I was a sports reporter. One thing led to another I ended up doing all high school sports in that town for an entire year, which wasn’t real fun. But I learned some things, one of which was that girls’ sports were not the same as they had been when I had been in school. Girls no longer slapped at volleyballs or squealed and tried to get away from errant basketballs. The first girl’s sport I covered was a volleyball game. Several times girls would slam into the floor diving for balls. One girl crashed into the stands going after a ball. They were fearless to stand in front of a spike. I was completely mesmerized. Girls, 20 years after high school for me, were every bit as tough as the guys. Actually, I think that if I was in high school now I might be a little scared to date.

          There were two girls on the same volleyball and basketball teams who went over six feet. They dominated. They were great. They were unstoppable. In every game I covered I was completely impressed. Rebounds, elbows flying, bodies knocking others out of the way. It was hard to think of these girls as kids who had normal issues and concerns. They were scoring machines.

          One evening I went by the school to talk to the coach. I was walking into the gym after practice and a lot of the players were leaving. I smiled and nodded at them but then one of the two really fine players stopped me. Everything about girls’ sports made me feel out of place and now standing there looking up at a 6’2” girl just seemed surreal. But she wasn’t stalking the basketball court now, looking for someone to devour. Now she was a pretty blond girl who just happened to be 6’2”. Like most blonds when they are a little embarrassed, this girl was blushing a deep crimson red. Oddly, that made me feel better. She kind of stammered a little, but she wanted to thank me for writing a favorable article about her. I told her that I had only reported the facts, nothing more. But then I remembered that this was just a kid, a senior in high school who would be going out to meet the world soon. “Grace, I want to tell you something. There are college recruiters in the stands at every game. Don’t be bowled over. You have a great talent, but you are a greater person. Go to school on that scholarship, get what you can get but keep your mind focused. You are Grace Bennett, be the best Grace Bennett you can be.” She smiled a little and said she would be the best she could be and off she walked.

          Grace got her scholarship and then Grace got pregnant. By that time, I had quit doing sports because I had been called to another church farther away. I heard what had happened and I felt bad for Grace. I was a little disappointed, but she soon slipped from my mind. I knew she never went to college. One mistake, one bad choice…….

          Ten years later Marsha and I were in that small town where I had written for the paper. We were sitting at a table in a small eatery. A tall blond woman walked in with a tall blond boy of about ten. She handed him a few quarters and he ran off to join his friends in the arcade and she went to get their meals. It took me a second to realize I wasn’t just seeing a Mom, I was seeing Grace and her child. She got their food then called to him and he left his buddies and came over to eat. They prayed before they ate. They chatted and laughed over their meal, enjoying the food and each other. It was a sweet scene. When she saw me, she smiled a little and turned red. As they were leaving they passed our table. I said, “Hi Grace.” She turned a little redder and said, “HI, Mr. Wade.”

The thing that pleased me was that she hadn’t let that one mistake beat her at life. It changed the course of her life, yes, but she had risen above it. She was neat and clean and her son was neat and clean. They got into a nearly new SUV in the parking lot. Not only did she and her son have a good relationship, but his friends seemed to like her, as well. She could have had a very different life, but she wound up embracing the life she had. She became the best Grace Bennett she could be.

Because they had prayed over their meal, I knew that the Lord was involved in their lives. So long as the Lord is there, Life doesn’t have to beat us down.

 Blessings to you all.