Jake's Thought for the Week

Each Monday I will be posting Jake's thought for the week that he sends out with his weekly annoucements to the parents of his All Iowa Attack players.

Sometimes like many of you I ask the question; why do I take basketball so seriously? Is this all worth it? Why do I do this?

I assume many of those questions sound familiar as I asked them many times as a player pursuing my talents on the basketball court and now as the director of the Attack program. I know how we all doubt the worthiness of this all when we consider the countless hours dedicated to one specific activity and all the sacrifice it requires in order to be great.
So, we come to question of why do we do this? I think the answer can be found in the book of Matthew and the Parable of Talents . Let’s quickly take a look at what it says:

The Parable of the Talents
-Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.

After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.' His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.' His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'-

No matter what highs or lows we experience from game to game and week to week or what amount of sacrifice it takes the answer is that God has provided a gift to me and a gift to many of your children. Each day we have a choice to use the talent provided to us or bury it never realizing just what could have been possible if we would have only given a little more.

As I think back on all the hours I personally sacrificed on the basketball court I quickly get reminded that it was all for Gods eventual purpose. New doors continue to be opened as I decide to pursue my passion and talents while God continuously provides me people in my life that allow me to fully pursue the talents given to me. This week God opens a new adventure as I head to Ghana, Africa to find out just what he has in store for me there by using the gifts and talents he has provided me with.

As I head to Africa this week I ask for your thoughts and prayers for safe travels and a discerning heart. More importantly I hope this adventure will also provide everyone the assurance that chasing excellence through a God given talent is worth it despite the sacrifices that so many of you make. Not all of our talents need to be the same, but when we discover just what that talent is; God requires us to pursue it with all of who we are and to not run and bury it likely the scared servant. Who knows where your talent may lead you as I certainly never thought it was going to lead me to Ghana, Africa, but we can be sure it will lead to something that could not be envisioned at the beginning for a much greater purpose than who won the last game!

Go Attack!!
Jake Sullivan