Women's basketball is being changed, shaped and even transformed through the play of Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) and other athletes. This past week I attended an Indiana Fever WNBA game. I was 15 rows from the top surrounded by fans young and old with a few empty seats around in the 17,200 arena. It was truly a site to see with the atmosphere being electric. I have not been part of anything to that level of interest in women's sports in my life. Grateful for how this is engaging others that may have not been in recent years. The Fever are fun to watch and yes the logo 3's are real! Sitting beside me were a dad of two younger teens to my right and a young gal, her boyfriend and family to my left. The young gal was really into the game, closed off to talking to her boyfriend and seemed stressed the entire game - you could feel the tension she felt watching. As I sat there, I wondered what she was thinking and/or feeling though I didn't ask which would have been a good opportunity to engage in that way. It was like she was captivated by the game and everything else around her seemed to not matter. The Fever lost the game that night. You would have never known that from where I sat as fans stayed until the end even though the loss was eminent. They were dedicated - entranced with the players and atmosphere. I was reminded about the effect sports have on us and yet how the effect can be transforming - life transforming through the Gospel. Allowing God to help us overcome the god of this world of our idol of sports to redeem it to become a bridge to reach and redeem the people of this world. We know the Gospel changes us from the inside out. God transforms . We get to be partner with Him as co-labor as we engage relationally with people. We can help develop others into disciples from the deepest parts of their hearts and into every arena of life. How are we using sports whether by playing, coaching, leading, or watching into it being transformed by the Gospel?

Posted by Jenny Young at 2024-09-16 15:19:00 UTC