My freshman year at Texas Tech, I was recruited by Kanakuk Kamp to serve as a summer counselor/coach. (It is a big Christian Sports Camp) All of the counselor/coaches were recruited because of their faith in Jesus and because they stood out in some sport. I arrived at camp “fired-up” about what I would be doing for the next 52 days…teaching kids how to hit a tennis ball and “hanging out” in the Ozarks…Awesome!
HOWEVER, my excitement changed to nausea when I met all of the other counselor. These folks were big time college athletes! I mean BIG TIME! At orientation I sat between two starting linemen for the (then) National Champion Oklahoma Sooners. My co-counselor (shared a cabin of kids with) was the starting forward for the Kansas State Wildcats basketball team. I made friends with a baseball player from Big 12 Champ Texas A&M and the Oklahoma State Wrestler (National Semi-finalist) was a great guy…. BUT C’MON!!!!!! I was a high school tennis player with a couple of scholarship offers to D-II schools. (that I did not even take cuz I had to go to a “big” school and do big things blah-blab-blah!…. idiot.)
“Intimidated” did not even begin to tell my story………
The head of the camp (Joe White, author, speaker and amazing athlete) must have “seen” everything I was feeling. You know, the fear, trepidation and that unmistakable look a guy gets when he does not know if he should run away, fake illness or just throw up!
He asked if he could “talk to me for a second over here ?” (“crud”, I thought, “I’m going home because of some recruiting mistake…well, it is probably better this way.”)
In the corner of the main dining hall, where we could not be heard, Joe White (“THEE” Joe White!) put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eyes and said, “Hixon, (Joe White knew my name! …or read my name badge….whatever.) “don’t be intimidated by these guys! I know what you can do, you have everything it takes to be a great counselor/coach here… “BE ONE!
In an instant, fear left me and determination set in! I became one of the best counselors Kanakuk had that summer. All because Joe White told me I had what it takes!
WHAT ABOUT YOU?
- Has God put a young guy/gal in your life that needs YOU to remind them that they are gifted, equipped and able?
- Does your child (ren) need to know that you believe they have what it takes to grow up well?
- Maybe YOU need someone to tell you that very thing…Timothy did!
The older Paul made sure that Timothy knew he was… EQUIPPED/GIFTED FOR THE TASK AT HAND.
2 Timothy 1:6-7
For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
Joe White changed the course of my summer and in some ways my life….who’s life can you change?
Consider: 2 TIMOTHY 1:3-18
I N T E N T I O N A L Marriage 
steve pelsue
March 9, 2011 at 8:12 am
Thanks for sharing that. It was great!
Todd Hope
March 9, 2011 at 8:52 am
I am not perfect in my relationships with others, especially when someone takes advantage of me. I normally have a very trusting attitude until I’ve been wronged by someone or in some situation. Once I learn those parameters of being wronged then I tend to remember them for a long time. I forgive them at some point in time and, like Mr. Burleson said at the Tabernacle series, sometimes I have to forgive them again and again and again. All this to say that sometimes I forget or have a hard time remembering to uplift people with encouraging words. I don’t have much of a problem with doing this for my 3 year old son, but those whom are much older it is difficult at times. Thanks for reminding me Hixon to encourage people to use the gifts God has given them. Ephesians 4:28 says for us to use our gifts not for evil but for good. So we should also encourage others to use their gifts, and use them for good, even if they have wronged us.