Embarrassment Countdown (2)
Most Embarrassing Moment #4
I was an 18 year old college freshman on the starting line up of my basketball team. It was my first college game weekend. Our season opening weekend included a Friday night away game about five hours from school and then a Saturday night home game. I was starting out on what would be a fairly decent college basketball career that would be marked (I include with a little bit of probably sinful pride) with quite a few high points and high honors. But apparently it was meant to start off pretty embarrassingly.
I arrived at the away game all filled with excitement. As game time approached we went into the locker room and I began the process of changing into my uniform. Shorts, jersey, socks. It was time for the sneakers. Reaching into my classic Adidas duffle bag I pulled out my size twelve footwear and saw to my utter dismay that I had brought two left foot sneakers. Back at school--five hours away--under my desk were a matching pair of right foot sneaks.
It was near game time and there was nothing to do but panic. In an amazing display of thoughtlessness, no one else had been careful enough to have size twelve feet and to make sure to bring along an extra pair of sneakers in case the brainless rookie forgot his. So I had no choice but to wear two left sneakers to play my first college game.
Not only did it feel weird, it was weird. And it wasn't missed by the fans. During the game as I'm sitting on the bench at one point I had a fan tap me on the shoulder, with a few more looking over his, and ask me, "Do you have two left sneakers on?" What could I say--as they laughed at my expense. I did have the last laugh as it turns out, as I scored 22 points in my debut and we beat those who scoffed at my feet.
I wonder: my wife giggles nearly every time I grab hold of her randomly at home to spend a moment or two dancing with my beloved. It's clear to me that she does not giggle out of romantic glee. She giggles because as a dancer, I have two left feet. Perhaps my freshman college B-ball experience left a permanent mark.
Back to my debut weekend. You'd think with that experience the night before I would have been a bit more careful the following night. Turns out I got it even worse.
The starting line up was introduced and it was time for me to take off my warm up sweats. Being that I played for a Bible college, we always prayed before our games to ask the Lord to keep us safe and godly during the game. Just as the prayer began one of my team members tapped me on the shoulder with a huge laughing grin on his face and said--with others looking on--"Hey Tim, your jersey is on backwards!" And so it was.
Picture it folks. Hundreds of fans. Big, cool, manly, super athlete. Jersey on backwards. I mean really: picture it! The high back of the jersey choking my neck; the low front revealing half my back.
What's a man to do? One thing is for sure, he is to seize the time of prayer when everyone's eyes are closed in spiritual humility and devotion, to take off his jersey and put it on right. Do it before too much damage is done.
I decided to forego being spiritual to preserve my ego. And I admit it, if I had it to do over again, given the same circumstances, I'd do the same thing.
Weird how life is. God has a way of letting us blunder just to help us maintain at least a little humility. Here I was pretty full of myself. Big man on campus. Starting freshman b-ball player. Time to strut and feel good about myself. And God decides to let me play the fool. It was good for me; such moments always are.
Don't be surprised folks: if you think of yourself a bit too highly, God will love you enough to let you do something to look really foolish. This isn't cruel; it's kind. Just when we think we have it all figured out, and we've arrived and we're the big man on the block, God will remind us that we can't even put our sneaks and shirts on right without His grace guiding our brains.
So today, as you tie your shoes, change your clothes, breathe a breath, lift a finger--remember: it is all by grace that He supplies. And if God should use you to make a difference in someone's life for His glory and kingdom, make sure to let God know that you know it was He and not you who did it.
Have a good and humble day.
I was an 18 year old college freshman on the starting line up of my basketball team. It was my first college game weekend. Our season opening weekend included a Friday night away game about five hours from school and then a Saturday night home game. I was starting out on what would be a fairly decent college basketball career that would be marked (I include with a little bit of probably sinful pride) with quite a few high points and high honors. But apparently it was meant to start off pretty embarrassingly.
I arrived at the away game all filled with excitement. As game time approached we went into the locker room and I began the process of changing into my uniform. Shorts, jersey, socks. It was time for the sneakers. Reaching into my classic Adidas duffle bag I pulled out my size twelve footwear and saw to my utter dismay that I had brought two left foot sneakers. Back at school--five hours away--under my desk were a matching pair of right foot sneaks.
It was near game time and there was nothing to do but panic. In an amazing display of thoughtlessness, no one else had been careful enough to have size twelve feet and to make sure to bring along an extra pair of sneakers in case the brainless rookie forgot his. So I had no choice but to wear two left sneakers to play my first college game.
Not only did it feel weird, it was weird. And it wasn't missed by the fans. During the game as I'm sitting on the bench at one point I had a fan tap me on the shoulder, with a few more looking over his, and ask me, "Do you have two left sneakers on?" What could I say--as they laughed at my expense. I did have the last laugh as it turns out, as I scored 22 points in my debut and we beat those who scoffed at my feet.
I wonder: my wife giggles nearly every time I grab hold of her randomly at home to spend a moment or two dancing with my beloved. It's clear to me that she does not giggle out of romantic glee. She giggles because as a dancer, I have two left feet. Perhaps my freshman college B-ball experience left a permanent mark.
Back to my debut weekend. You'd think with that experience the night before I would have been a bit more careful the following night. Turns out I got it even worse.
The starting line up was introduced and it was time for me to take off my warm up sweats. Being that I played for a Bible college, we always prayed before our games to ask the Lord to keep us safe and godly during the game. Just as the prayer began one of my team members tapped me on the shoulder with a huge laughing grin on his face and said--with others looking on--"Hey Tim, your jersey is on backwards!" And so it was.
Picture it folks. Hundreds of fans. Big, cool, manly, super athlete. Jersey on backwards. I mean really: picture it! The high back of the jersey choking my neck; the low front revealing half my back.
What's a man to do? One thing is for sure, he is to seize the time of prayer when everyone's eyes are closed in spiritual humility and devotion, to take off his jersey and put it on right. Do it before too much damage is done.
I decided to forego being spiritual to preserve my ego. And I admit it, if I had it to do over again, given the same circumstances, I'd do the same thing.
Weird how life is. God has a way of letting us blunder just to help us maintain at least a little humility. Here I was pretty full of myself. Big man on campus. Starting freshman b-ball player. Time to strut and feel good about myself. And God decides to let me play the fool. It was good for me; such moments always are.
Don't be surprised folks: if you think of yourself a bit too highly, God will love you enough to let you do something to look really foolish. This isn't cruel; it's kind. Just when we think we have it all figured out, and we've arrived and we're the big man on the block, God will remind us that we can't even put our sneaks and shirts on right without His grace guiding our brains.
So today, as you tie your shoes, change your clothes, breathe a breath, lift a finger--remember: it is all by grace that He supplies. And if God should use you to make a difference in someone's life for His glory and kingdom, make sure to let God know that you know it was He and not you who did it.
Have a good and humble day.
posted by Tim Shorey at
8:56 AM
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