Written On Our Hearts
Stories
Contents
“Written On Our Hearts” by Peter Andrew Smith
Written On Our Hearts
by Peter Andrew Smith
Jeremiah 31:27-34
“Okay guys, good practice.” Coach blew the whistle and waved at the players to gather around him. “You’re starting to really come along. Chapel service is in thirty minutes so you’ve got time to get yourself a drink or a snack after hitting the showers.”
The players cheered and headed off the field to get ready for the next activity.
“Hey Coach?” Johnson asked.
“Yeah?” Coach looked up from his clipboard at the starting quarterback and a couple of his friends, Deon and Vanderwiel, hanging back. “Do you have a question about something we did this morning?”
“It’s not about football but can I still ask?”
“Well ask and if I can’t answer I’ll help you find someone who can.”
Johnson cleared his throat. “Why do we have chapel services each day at football camp?”
“So you can learn more about what God wants from you in your life. I’m helping you be a better player here on the field. Pastor Lewis is helping you be a better person in chapel.” Coach considered Johnson for a few moments. “Everybody knew there was daily chapel when you signed up.”
“Yeah, it was one of the reasons my Mom agreed to let me come,” said Johnson. The other boys nodded. “I’m just not sure why we have it.”
“Do you go to church at home?”
“Yeah, my family goes each week.” Johnson replied. The other boys mirrored his answer.
“So what’s the question about?”
“I don’t know everything about football and want to be a better quarterback which is why I’m here to learn from you.” Johnson pointed toward the chapel at the middle of the University campus. “What I’m not sure of is why I need to keep learning about faith. I know there’s a God and I understand that Jesus wants me to be good.”
“Lots more to faith than just that,” Coach said. “As well as taking time in our lives each day to thank God the fact is that following Jesus can be hard and you need support from other people and a better understanding of the Bible.”
“But on Sunday we heard the part of the Bible where God promises to write the law on our hearts so it is always with us,” Johnson said. “If that’s true than why do we have to learn about something we already know?”
Deon tapped his chest. “Yeah if it is in here why do I have to spend time figuring it out?”
“I’ve been wondering about that myself,” Vanderwiel added.
Coach rubbed his chin for a moment. “Johnson, head out to the middle of the field with Vanderwiel. Deon throw him a ball.”
Johnson frowned but headed out to the field and caught the ball his friend threw. “What do you want me to do?”
“Kick a field goal.”
Johnson tossed the ball to Vanderwiel who held it for him. Johnson considered the goalposts. “I don’t think I can.”
“Did you injure yourself at practice?”
“No, there’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Don’t you know how to do it? We ran the drills earlier in the week where everyone got to play every position. You kicked okay if I remember correctly.”
“Kirby might be able to make it.” Johnson pointed at the end zone. “I don’t think I can kick that far, Coach.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not good enough. I might be able to with practice but...”
“Give it a shot anyway,” Coach turned to Deon. “Go catch it for him, will you?”
Johnson made a run and kicked as hard as he could but the effort fell short. Deon raced after the ball and Coach waved them all over to him.
“You get my point?” Coach asked as they gathered around.
“I think so,” Johnson said slowly. “Just because we know how to do something and have done it before doesn’t mean that we’re good at it yet.”
“Or can do it as well as we could with practice,” Vanderwiel added.
“You got anything to add?” Coach asked Deon.
“We might be good at something but that doesn’t mean we still can’t learn other things,” the boy said. “Guess we should get ourselves to chapel.”
Coach looked at his watch. “You have twenty minutes so you better hustle.”
The boys raced for the showers as Coach tossed the ball to one side and started to make his way to the Chapel himself. As he did he smiled and offered a prayer of thanks for the lessons he was able to teach on the field which they would always carry with them and he gave thanks for the faith which was growing in each and every one of them that week.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 20, 2019 issue.
Copyright 2019 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
“Written On Our Hearts” by Peter Andrew Smith
Written On Our Hearts
by Peter Andrew Smith
Jeremiah 31:27-34
“Okay guys, good practice.” Coach blew the whistle and waved at the players to gather around him. “You’re starting to really come along. Chapel service is in thirty minutes so you’ve got time to get yourself a drink or a snack after hitting the showers.”
The players cheered and headed off the field to get ready for the next activity.
“Hey Coach?” Johnson asked.
“Yeah?” Coach looked up from his clipboard at the starting quarterback and a couple of his friends, Deon and Vanderwiel, hanging back. “Do you have a question about something we did this morning?”
“It’s not about football but can I still ask?”
“Well ask and if I can’t answer I’ll help you find someone who can.”
Johnson cleared his throat. “Why do we have chapel services each day at football camp?”
“So you can learn more about what God wants from you in your life. I’m helping you be a better player here on the field. Pastor Lewis is helping you be a better person in chapel.” Coach considered Johnson for a few moments. “Everybody knew there was daily chapel when you signed up.”
“Yeah, it was one of the reasons my Mom agreed to let me come,” said Johnson. The other boys nodded. “I’m just not sure why we have it.”
“Do you go to church at home?”
“Yeah, my family goes each week.” Johnson replied. The other boys mirrored his answer.
“So what’s the question about?”
“I don’t know everything about football and want to be a better quarterback which is why I’m here to learn from you.” Johnson pointed toward the chapel at the middle of the University campus. “What I’m not sure of is why I need to keep learning about faith. I know there’s a God and I understand that Jesus wants me to be good.”
“Lots more to faith than just that,” Coach said. “As well as taking time in our lives each day to thank God the fact is that following Jesus can be hard and you need support from other people and a better understanding of the Bible.”
“But on Sunday we heard the part of the Bible where God promises to write the law on our hearts so it is always with us,” Johnson said. “If that’s true than why do we have to learn about something we already know?”
Deon tapped his chest. “Yeah if it is in here why do I have to spend time figuring it out?”
“I’ve been wondering about that myself,” Vanderwiel added.
Coach rubbed his chin for a moment. “Johnson, head out to the middle of the field with Vanderwiel. Deon throw him a ball.”
Johnson frowned but headed out to the field and caught the ball his friend threw. “What do you want me to do?”
“Kick a field goal.”
Johnson tossed the ball to Vanderwiel who held it for him. Johnson considered the goalposts. “I don’t think I can.”
“Did you injure yourself at practice?”
“No, there’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Don’t you know how to do it? We ran the drills earlier in the week where everyone got to play every position. You kicked okay if I remember correctly.”
“Kirby might be able to make it.” Johnson pointed at the end zone. “I don’t think I can kick that far, Coach.”
“Why not?”
“I’m not good enough. I might be able to with practice but...”
“Give it a shot anyway,” Coach turned to Deon. “Go catch it for him, will you?”
Johnson made a run and kicked as hard as he could but the effort fell short. Deon raced after the ball and Coach waved them all over to him.
“You get my point?” Coach asked as they gathered around.
“I think so,” Johnson said slowly. “Just because we know how to do something and have done it before doesn’t mean that we’re good at it yet.”
“Or can do it as well as we could with practice,” Vanderwiel added.
“You got anything to add?” Coach asked Deon.
“We might be good at something but that doesn’t mean we still can’t learn other things,” the boy said. “Guess we should get ourselves to chapel.”
Coach looked at his watch. “You have twenty minutes so you better hustle.”
The boys raced for the showers as Coach tossed the ball to one side and started to make his way to the Chapel himself. As he did he smiled and offered a prayer of thanks for the lessons he was able to teach on the field which they would always carry with them and he gave thanks for the faith which was growing in each and every one of them that week.
*****************************************
StoryShare, October 20, 2019 issue.
Copyright 2019 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
