Let the superstar lead the way

Without a doubt, Daren Queenan is the best basketball player I’ve ever had the privilege of playing with.  Although it’s been more than forty years now, I still remember playing with him like it was yesterday.

The setting was an outreach event in which our church youth group participated in the spring of 1984.  Churches from all over the mid-Atlantic states put together teams that played in an all-day basketball marathon.  There were many outstanding players present that day.  Two of them were miraculously recruited by our youth leader from nearby Norristown High School to join our team – Daren Queenan and Frank Dobbs.  Daren was their starting center, and Frank was their starting point guard.  The rest of the team was filled out by my intramural team from Upper Merion High School.

Photo credit: Markus Spiske (Unsplash)

To say that Daren and Frank were better than the rest of us would be like saying that an Alaskan cruise is better than crossing the street.  Daren and Frank carried our team.  Want some statistics to back it up?  Daren averaged 26 points per game, and Frank averaged 12.  The third leading scorer was me, averaging a meager 3 points per game.  I don’t think anybody else scored in any of our games.  I never got tired of watching Daren race down the court, explode to the hoop, and lay the ball in.  He could do it all – score, rebound, dribble, block shots, you name it.

But perhaps my favorite part of the day occurred after our team was finally eliminated.  A bunch of guys from teams that were finished playing started an impromptu dunk contest.  Player after player started pulling out his best moves, dazzling each other and all of us who were drawn in by the spectacle.  Daren had been sitting in the bleachers right in front of me, taking it all in.  I’ll never forget the moment when he took off his glasses, went down on the court, and took the dunk contest to a whole new level (particularly when he started dunking two balls at once).  He was spectacular, and I became an instant fan.

Photo credit: August Phlieger (Unsplash)

I followed his career after that.  He became Lehigh University’s all-time leading scorer and still holds that honor.  I relished him battling against all-world center Patrick Ewing and the Georgetown Hoyas during the opening round of March Madness in his freshman year (1985).  I loved spotting a picture of him in Sports Illustrated and hearing that he was dominating a 6’4” and under professional league.  Although he never played in the NBA, he played 15 seasons in professional leagues all over the world.  You can read more about him in his Wikipedia page if interested.

So why am I sharing my fun, fanboy story about Daren Queenan?  It’s because of something he said to me on the court that spring day long ago.  I had just made a difficult, turnaround baseline shot.  I was feeling pretty good about myself as I was running back down the court.  Daren ran up next to me and quietly said these words, “Good job, but that was a high risk shot”.  That was it, and then he raced off to defend the player he was guarding.

What did he mean by those words?

At the surface level, he was giving me a compliment but also letting me know that we probably could have worked to get a higher percentage shot than the one I took.  But I’ve always suspected that in his exceedingly humble and gentle way, he meant to communicate something deeper: “Don, we don’t need you to take high risk shots.  You’ve got me and Frank!  Let us do the heavy lifting.  Just take the shots that come naturally in the flow of the offense we’re creating for you.  Don’t worry – we’ve got this!”

I didn’t feel at all chided by Daren’s comment.  In fact, I knew immediately that he was right.  Daren and Frank were capable of amazing things that I could only dream of doing.  They could create easy shots for me and others if we would just stay in the flow of the beautiful basketball they were creating.  If the goal was winning, then our best possible strategy was to let the superstars lead the way.

Although he doesn’t know it, I’ve carried Daren’s simple words in my heart for a far deeper reason than just basketball.  What he said has provided a powerful, lifelong illustration of a vital truth for me as a follower of Christ.  So often in my walk with Jesus, I allow my agenda and my anxiety to be the driving force behind what I do and how I do it.  For example,

• When somebody criticizes me, I can obsess over how I will defend myself rather than letting Jesus hold me and reassure me of my acceptance in Him.

• When I feel under time pressure, I can micromanage my schedule and become hyper-focused rather than pray and proceed in Christ’s peace.

• When I feel insecure in a relationship, I can over-function in serving, working, being nice or funny, etc. to regain favor rather than rest in my identity in Jesus.

Photo credit: Karsten Winegeart (Unsplash)

When I allow my agenda and my anxiety to be the driving force behind what I do and how I do it, it’s like I’m back at the basketball marathon, jacking up difficult shots when I have a legit superstar on my team!  It made no sense then on the court, and it makes even less sense now in my walk with Jesus.

As we live life with God, one of the greatest lessons He wants to teach us is that we simply can’t live the Christian life on our own, but we can bear much fruit if we will just let Jesus live through us.  Here’s how He says it in His own words (John 15:4-5):

“Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”

Here’s my personalized paraphrase: “Don, I don’t need your agenda and anxiety to lead the way.  You’ve got Me!  Let Me do the heavy lifting.  Just live in the flow of the life that I’m creating for you.  Don’t worry – I’ve got this!”

If Daren Queenan was capable of amazing things on the basketball court that I could only dream of, how much more is Jesus uniquely capable of doing amazing things in and through us, if we will just fully trust Him.  Our lives are not diminished by surrendering our agenda and anxiety to Him but instead made so much richer and more fulfilling.  If the goal is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, then our best strategy is to let the Superstar lead the way.

Photo credit: Caju Gomes (Unsplash)

Where have your agenda and anxiety caused your Christian walk to be more difficult than God meant it to be?  What is Jesus speaking to you about trusting and surrendering to Him right now?

Written by: Don Reynard