In the article by CBS journalist Steve Hartman writes: The high school basketball team for the Gainesville Tornadoes in Gainesville, Texas usually has a fan base of zero. One Gainesville player said, “My parents came to one game but they didn’t come to the other ones because they didn’t have time.”
The other students at Gainesville—a juvenile correction facility for felony offenders—don’t come to the games either, mostly because they can’t get out. One of the few perks at the facility—for very good behavior—is a chance to leave the prison a few times a year to play basketball.
They play against private schools like Vanguard College Prep in Waco. And it was before that recent match-up that two Vanguard players—Hudson Bradley and Ben Martinson—announced they it didn’t seem right to play a team with no fans. So before their home game against Gainesville, Bradley and Martinson asked some Vanguard fans for a favor: To cheer for Gainesville instead.
The shocked Gainesville players walked onto the court to find their own signs of support, their own cheerleaders, even their own fan section. Half the crowd was assigned to cheer for Gainesville. But as the game went on, everybody started to cheer for Gainesville. One Gainesville player said, “When I’m an old man I’ll still be thinking about this.” Hudson Bradley said, “I mean every time they scored the gym was just lit up with cheering and clapping and everyone was on their feet. It showed me the real impact that encouragement and support for anybody can make.”
Steve Hartman summarized, “We all need someone to believe in us. We All Need Fans. We all need someone who knows our mistakes and loves us anyway. And for that, the Gainesville players can’t thank those boys enough.” See CBS video here
My son John suffers daily severe chronic pain from Crohn’s Disease and made another trip to the ER last week. My daughter Sara’s 4thgrade students called him and prayed for him over the phone and brought him to tears. They also sent written prayers for her brother. Here is one of them.
Dear Johnny,
I really really hope that your stomach will feel better, and that everything will go well. Dear Jesus, thank you for this day please hope that Jonny will feel better and that he won’t be worried on what’s going to happen next. Please hope that the medicine will help Johnny and that he will be blessed by you in your name, Amen. Janelle
After the Bible study I teach in the Fremont Correctional Facility in Canon City, Colorado an inmate asked me, “Will you please think about me this week because no one does.” An another incarcerated Christ follower asked me, “Please pray to God that I will sleep better because I stay up worrying every night about when I get out.”
We all need someone to think about us and believe in us especially in the middle of hardships. There is Someone who thinks about you and loves you. Thank God He does not give us what we deserve, but what we need – grace.
We all need grace. It’s something you can’t pay for. It’s something we can all give to someone else who really needs it. Now, go out and show grace to someone this week, maybe to someone who would least expect it. You can do it!
