Journal 4: Jay Williams & Jesus

I have a few thoughts to write down today and decided that I'd like to do it on my blog. Just a second ago I was reading a "blog" of Jay Williams on NBA.com. Jay plays for the Chicago Bulls (a 2001 member of the Duke National Championship team) but is sitting out this year due to a severe injury suffered from a motorcycle accident last summer. Anyway, as I was reading his journal, I started to see his character/personality come out in his writing. I don't know him at all, except that he is an excellent baller, but felt that he is the type of professional sportsman that I can get behind. He is open, honest, knows what he is talking about and seems to be very positive about his situation - the motorcycle accident, I gather, was very severe and they didn't know if he would able to play ball again. Jay's only 22-years-old.

The next thought I had was if I think, just through his writing, that Jay is someone that I can admire - how much more so are others? It's hard in sports to separate the good from the bad; because a lot of times the good make mistakes and we then see them as bad. Take Kobe for instant. I'm not ashamed to see that he is my favorite player ever; and while I commend him for his honesty, I can't forget his mistake - that he may pay dearly for. Jay, I'm using him as an example, has not "fallen" yet.

Thought number three was if he hasn't "fallen" yet, will he? We can't depend on other people to stay "perfect" or "good." We are not capable of being good all the time. Even when we don't think we have sinned, we have. And then it all becomes clear that we weren't made to be "perfect" but that we were made to strive for perfection, as people. Not as a businessman, a performer, a minister. To be a "better" person than we were the day before.

So how do we learn? Who do we learn from, if no person is dependable to be good all the time? Then Jesus comes into view. He was perfect. Some of us deny Him but we can't because every good thing about us is what Jesus gave to us, through His example. But sometimes some of us can't see Him clearly and we need others who are examples of a part of Jesus to show us.

So what is it that I can take from Jay Williams' journal today? Two things: 1) that he isn't giving up, no matter how hard it may be. He is taking his life seriously and is thankful to have it; so he's doing all he can to get healthy and use his gifts as he should. 2) people care about you; even people you don't know. You are an example though you may not be famous like Jay. You have a fan club; but your fans don't necessarily want to start a website for you. That, to me, is the only difference between being Jay and being me.