Hi Friends,

I watched my husband do something this morning that he’s done for almost twenty years. It is something very few men do. Actually I don’t know any that do. He records the stats for our sons for every sport they play. Each of them have a Sports Book — a binder with the print out of the faithful record keeping that Will has done. He also has it all saved digitally and before we went to the gym, Will was updating the stats from last night’s game.

Our oldest son started with soccer and flag football. Back then Will recorded the stats and then would write a narrative as though he was a sports reporter covering the game. You can imagine the utter delight of our sons to hear these write-ups read aloud as little guys. We had many seasons of baseball, rec and travel. Many seasons of basketball, rec and travel. We had middle school sports and high school sports, state championships and records, and then four years at the D1 level. By the end we had logged 18 years of swim meets that took us to California, Omaha, and all over the Southeast. But the most fun thing of all may have been the summer swim years in the crazy competitive Northern Virginia league, where all the boys were all on the same team.

Only God knows how much time and money we’ve devoted to sports, and I don’t have a single regret about any of it. We have bonded together at these events — so many fantastic memories surrounding sports. Plus younger siblings learn to make instant friends. Is there a better way to make a new pal than to roll down the hill next to the baseball field? Many simple, screen-free days to look back on and even now the traditions of just us three are a treasure. The last few years we’ve been hitting Culver’s after every basketball game. The scale is currently topping out at a shameful number, but the memories are sweet.

But that’s neither the shame nor the sports book I want to write about. What I want to write about is bringing shame back to shameful things, like sports betting. I don’t know where to draw the line. I think a March Madness pool is a blast. I think placing an occasional bet for pure entertainment’s sake is fine. But a slew of people are ruining their lives on sports betting. I feel like half the commercials I see are for pharmaceuticals (which is awful and not allowed in many countries), and the other half is for sports betting. It’s yet another addiction the culture refuses to condemn. I listened to a podcast where the author Michael Lewis said, essentially, that the guys who really do know enough to win gambling on sports, get banned. If you are a frequent gambler and in good standing with a “sports book,” then you are being played a fool. You should be embarrassed.

Lewis’s words resonated with me so much. We should be embarrassed and ashamed on a lot of levels about a lot of things. The mental acrobatics that have been popularized to avoid shame have not served us well. Let’s get back to calling things as they are.

After all we are all sinners. I fall short every single day. And so do you. The great news is that we can be washed white as snow, but not without repenting. I don’t need to repent of sports gambling, but that doesn’t mean I have a clean heart. I have other vices. Why would I pretend I don’t? Wouldn’t that devalue the sacrifice of my Savior? To appreciate what He paid, I have to acknowledge my own transgressions.

Tonight I am praying for revival in our country, that people would own their guilt and shame, that they would look to Jesus who wants to clothe them in His righteousness, achieved not through pretending bad is good, but through payment for every sinful thought, word and deed.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9

Cleansed from all unrighteousness? Yes, please!

Kristie

P.S. Regarding the image above, I thought I’d mix it up a bit. Will writes his fun sports tidbits on a regular computer of course, but we did visit Hemingway’s House in Key West over Christmas break and I snapped this picture.