Who is there for you?

December 1, 2022

story

A Hoop Time Story…

In late June 2022, a group of middle school boys from Hoop Time attended a basketball camp facilitated by Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) at Northwestern University in St. Paul.  I had the privilege of joining seven young men and two of our volunteers at this camp.

The camp was terrific – the basketball drills required all-out effort, the competition was challenging, and the coaches knowledgeable.  But it was the evening “chapel” that really challenged our youth.  The keynote speaker connected with the youth from the Midwest with her humor, but also made them go deep on their beliefs.

She asked the youth to share within a small group – “Who is there for you? Who can you count on?”  Caleb* looked at me and said without thinking, “When my brother died you messaged me.  You were there for me.”
I had never forgotten the loss Caleb had gone through before he became a teenager.  Tears came instantly as I remembered how helpless I felt in a time when we did not meet in person due to the pandemic.

Also in that moment, God reminded me the effort we put in at Hoop Time is for these very moments.  Kids do not care how much you know, but they know how much you care.  I continue to check in with Caleb and I know the FCA camp was a reminder God is always at work even when I can’t see it.

In Christ,
Ricky Rud