Alright… confession time… I love sports! No, I mean… I LOVE sports! It’s kinda ridiculous sometimes. Right now I’m trying to juggle my sports obsessions. My Cowboys are in the thick of a nasty playoff race… my Tarheels are looking like the clear favorites to win it all… and the defending state champion Glenelg wrestling team I coach is trying to remain on top after losing 4 studs from our line-up. Look at my computer history and you will see a very familiar pattern of bouncing from hotmail to ESPN and then to the Maryland wrestling forum. Sometimes I get so into checking out stats and possible scenarios, that they race in my head even as a lay down to sleep at night. In fact, just the other night, that is exactly what happened. I had just spent a couple hours evaluating the chances of the Cowboys making into the playoffs and evaluating how in the world we were going to beat a couple tough Howard County opponents in wrestling. As I was laying there in bed thinking about the next wrestling match, a very sobering thought hit me. What if I shifted the focus of my sports passions to the passions of Jesus Christ? What if I spent more time praying for and strategizing how to reach those wrestlers with the gospel of Jesus than I did how to win a match? Wow… talk about a God-sized slap in the face! Please don’t misunderstand me… sports are fine… in fact they are great, and I think they carry in and of themselves great value to those involved. There is nothing wrong with being a fan and keeping track of your teams. But why in the world can I not be that passionate, naturally about the things of God? Let’s be honest… most of us have to make it a “discipline” to spend consistent and quality time in the Word of God. At least, I know I do! But I don’t have to “make” myself watch some Sportscenter or surf espn.com. That night… convicted by the direction of my passions, I found myself shifting the focus. I immediately got out of bed and starting praying over my wrestling roster. I prayed for one of my wrestlers who I know was really struggling cutting weight, that he would sleep well that night. The next day, I conveyed this prayer to him, and planted a small seed I hope to water throughout the rest of this season. I don’t expect that I will abandon sports or my love for them… I think God put that in my heart. But I do plan to shift the focus in the coming days!