Halfway through the appointment I realized that we had parallel, but definitely distinct trajectories. I wanted to share about what God was doing on the college campus and challenge her to join our team of financial and prayer partners. She wanted to commission me to reach her 26 year old son with the gospel.
“maybe you could just schedule a time to go and play basketball, he really likes basketball.”
There’s an abrupt segue. One moment, students are lost on the college campus. The next, I am playing basketball with her son who is my age and happily pagan. I haven’t played basketball since 1998 church league. (15 rebounds, 3 bricks off of the bottom of the rim, 14 passes to somebody who could score per game.)
I understand, parents are desperate to see their wayward children reached with the gospel. I don’t mean to make light of that.
I am making light of the fact that she essentially did a reverse bait and switch, (double Jesus Juke?) by meeting with me with no apparent desire to support my actual mission but instead looking solely toward my soft spot for lost people and hoping to do the missionary equivalent of a “Failure to Launch” type thing where I’m Sarah Jessica Parker and her son is Matthew McConaughey. (I’ll leave my man card at home for a few days, fellas. I have no excuse.)
No pressure, but I’m going to need you to save my son’s soul.
I mean, I know that essentially I get paid to share the gospel. But it’s generally a less specific assignment.
Has this ever happened to you? What should I have done?