Austin Porter dot org

The last few days have been, well…

Rather Fun!!!

I have had a blast being in a local middle school substitute teaching for their P.E. classes the last few days.

After too many high flying arrows being shot through the air by 6th graders, we decided to ex-neigh the Archery class and focus a little bit more on basketball instead. And looking back, I think I can say we made the right decision.

These kids have been great to hang out with every single day simply because of their zest for life (or at least 3-on-3 basketball games).

I can’t lie to you. I am worn slap out after 8 periods of elimination and 3-0n-3 basketball tournaments, but it has still been a great way to interact with these kids.

I love to see them smiling, playing alongside one another, encouraging each other, challenging one another, and seeking to achieve the same ultimate goal which is simply having fun!

Even through all of this intentional insanity, I knew God was looking to teach me something through this experience. And as I reflect on the last couple of days I came up with this conclusion and I will pose it in the form of a question,

“Isn’t this what the church is supposed to be like?”

All of us working together, playing alongside one another, encouraging each other, challenging each other, and seeking to achieve the same ultimate goal which is simply sharing Jesus with all those we happen to meet (WHICH IS REALLY THE BEST WAY TO HAVE THE MOST FUN IN LIFE ANYWAY)!

I don’t know. Maybe it is just me. But it seems like too many of us who claim to follow after Christ actually spend more of our time arguing with one another, critizing each other, getting frustrated with all the others, and really never seeking to achieve the same ultimate goal in the end unless this ultimate goal only happens to be lifting up OUR name for everyone else to see rather than actually lifting up JESUS Name for the rest of the world to see!

Crazy, I know…

But God really can teach you something through different experiences you face in life, especially if you open yourself up to allowing Him to stretch you through out of the norm circumstances, even it is nothing more than a middle school P.E. class.  

So I guess you really can have fun while letting God stretch you, while even at the same time looking to impact the lives He puts around you.

Yes, I am worn out. Middle schoolers can be a hand full. 

And yes, I can’t wait to crash in front of the T.V. to hammer out some Guitar Hero tonight just to keep from having to be on my feet the rest of the evening. But I still wouldn’t trade this experience for anything!

In fact, I can’t wait to see when they might call me to hit up some middle school P.E. classes again.  

By the way, my teams did win 6 out of 8 in the 3-on-3 games today! That’s way above 500 in my book. And the only two we lost… well, let me just say we had some lanky 7th graders who still hadn’t grasped the concept of what hand-eye coordination is really all about yet. Need I say Napoleon Dynamite…

Anyway, I promised them we would get ‘em next time! I still HATE losing, even if it is to a bunch of middle school kids. So all I can say is look out next time little boys…

Team Porter is going all the way! Total Domination Baby!!!