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| MATTHEW AND HIS DAD A Lesson in Modern-Day Missions by David Welday
I had no idea what God could do to touch hearts through a sport like flag football, but the story of Matthew and his dad was a real eye-opener to me. Not only were their lives changed by this simple outreach, but the Lord also used it to touch others in the league and my own heart as well. Each Saturday morning during the fall season, our church and a group of dedicated volunteer coaches held a flag football league. For six straight weeks, about seventy kids between the ages of ten and fifteen, both boys and girls, came together to kick off the cooler weather by dressing in torn-up jeans and sweat shirts with the logos of their favorite NFL teams. On the first Saturday of the flag football league, the weather was fantastic. It was in the forties, and not a cloud in the sky. The trees were showing off their early colors, and the dew shimmered on the grass in every direction. The coaches arrived early so they could line the field with chalk and arrange all the orange cones that defined the end zone. Before any of the other kids arrived that day, Matthew and his dad came on the field. In Matthew’s hands was a football he had brought from home, and it was so worn-out that it looked older than he was. Matthew was twelve years old. He had dark curly hair and eyes that looked like gigantic marbles that revolved on a swivel. Matthew was clearly excited to be there, and his enthusiasm was bubbling out of his skin—olive-colored skin that sunbathers would die for. Matthew’s enthusiasm made it seem as if the NFL draft day had arrived, and he was hoping to be the top pick. His personality was as gentle as a lamb, and he made friends with the new kids as fast as they pulled into the gravel parking lot. Matthew’s dad, on the other hand, was quite reserved, apparently not comfortable with the whole situation. I wondered if part of the problem was cultural, since he looked like his origins were from the Mediterranean part of the world. But then I realized there was more to it than that. As the other boys and girls continued to arrive, it became obvious that Matthew was physically different. At twelve years old, he was much smaller than all the others who were the same age. He also walked and ran with a distinct limp, but that didn’t seem to diminish his enthusiasm at all. I eventually learned that Matthew had been born with dwarfism. Even though he seemed to accept this condition, his dad was visibly struggling with it. The dad’s body language showed a reluctance to let his son participate with the other children. Captains were chosen and teams were picked. Matthew was eventually chosen and put on a team, to his father’s dismay. Looking back, I’m sure Matthew’s dad felt concerned that Matthew would be a hindrance to his teammates. How wrong he was. As parents, we need to keep in mind an important principle: Don’t assume that we always know which person God is targeting for a lesson in parenting. . Up to this point in the story, you might have assumed that the main objective was to show Matthew he would be accepted by the other kids. In fact, this was exactly the incorrect assumption made by the coaches, the parents, and me. Funny thing, the other children never saw the situation that way. From the beginning, the other kids always accepted Matthew, and he was having a blast. No, the person God was targeting was Matthew’s dad. And Matthew and his dad came back every Saturday, and eventually his dad came to realize that Matthew could play with other children despite his handicap of dwarfism. Even though Matthew wasn’t a fast runner, nor big enough to be a good blocker, his teammates wanted him to score a touchdown. In fact, it became the ultimate goal of the team, beyond even winning their games. Finally the day came when Matthew scored his first touchdown. As the ball floated toward his hands in the corner of the end zone, his dad’s face filled with emotion and erupted in jubilation. In that instant, I saw that it wasn’t so much Matthew who needed to believe in himself, as it was his dad who needed to believe in Matthew. Of course, Matthew was happy when he caught the ball and all the players congratulated him for scoring, but that event did something extra-special in his dad. Perhaps for the first time, his dad witnessed an acceptance of Matthew that he had never noticed before. He began to understand that Matthew was really a lot like all the other kids. He really was. You see, God looks upon the heart, not the outward physical appearance we as parents sometimes get caught up in. God used this experience to pour out His love on this dad who wanted so much for his son to succeed and fit in. As the season went along, Matthew and his dad came to be embraced by everyone. They were loved in a way that reminded me of Jesus going out of His way to encounter individuals who so desperately needed a kind word in the most trying of times. Another great lesson is this: Sometimes you can’t immediately understand the size of the moment. Who would have thought that God could use something as simple as a game of flag football to transform how a father viewed his son? Yet from that point on, Matthew’s dad saw his son’s physical appearance and capabilities in a whole new way. The message Jesus delivers to parents is this: in God’s eyes children are looked upon as a special gift from above. A child’s heart is what matters to God. In Mark chapter 10 Jesus says, “Let the children come to me, do not hinder them; for to such belongs the kingdom of God.” (v.14) God doesn't measure physical abilities. If that were so David, the son of Jesse, would most likely have never be chosen by God to be the one to battle Goliath and one day become the greatest King Israel ever had. The last point to keep in mind is this: Strive to think outside the box. Flag football provided a platform for kids, parents, and coaches to reach out to others who needed a kind word and acceptance for who they were. Would the Lord have been able to do such a deep work in Matthew’s dad through a traditional church service? Possibly, but flag football allowed Matthew to shine in a way his dad had not witnessed before. By the end of the flag football season, Matthew and his dad had new relationships and a new church home. Every year, they look forward to a new season of football and a chance to get reacquainted with the other fathers and sons. The lives of Matthew and his father were changed forever. A son found a new level of acceptance and belonging, and a dad discovered new pride in his “handicapped” son who had the heart of a lion. | Top | Share Your Thoughts... Be the first to comment on this article! |
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Several years ago, I was in charge of the sports ministry at a local church. I wasn’t really sure how it should be done, but my motto became “Learn as you go!” We created a variety of sports opportunities to reach out into the community, and flag football was one of the choices.
