Larry absolutely schooled me

When I was in high school, the place to hang out in our small desert town was simply known as “the Sports Complex”.  I honestly don’t remember if that was what its name really was…it’s just what we all called it.  The Sports Complex was way out on the north edge of town, but it was worth the drive to get there.  It had bowling, pool tables, a basketball court, and a tennis court.  We spent most of our time either shooting pool or playing pickup games of basketball.  Not that we were any good at either of them, mind you, but we had fun competing.

One day, there was only three of us to play basketball, so we could only shoot around.  Then an older guy we didn’t know asked if he could join in.  When I say “older”, I’m guessing he was in his mid-to-late 50s…and to us teenagers, he was definitely older.  He looked the part, too, with a head full of shaggy grey and white hair, about 5’7” with a thin frame.  His addition meant that we could play some 2-on-2, so we agreed.  My best friend and I paired up, while the older guy paired up with our other friend.

Now, keep in mind, that both my friends were taller and more physical than me, so it made sense that they would play the post, while Larry and I would play guard.  I settled in to play some defense and was immediately shocked at how quick Larry was.  His dribbling skills were much more sound than the level of competition our friend group had, and while he couldn’t outrun me, he kept me off balance and made great passes to set up his teammate.  He hustled on every play, with me chasing him around the court.  When I had the ball, his defense was tight, but me being the younger guy, I had a slight edge when it came to strength and speed…but my lack of ball skills kept me from making the best passes or consistently hitting shots when I had the open opportunity.  I did ok on offense, but Larry shredded my defensive attempts every time.  My best friend was visibly upset at how often I was getting beat, but there was nothing more I could have done to stop him.

After a few games, I went out to the food counter where the Sports Complex owner worked.  I was soaked in sweat and out of breath…I told him I needed to sit down for a minute and have a Gatorade.  He asked if I was alright, and I told him how I was getting absolutely smoked by Larry.  He chuckled and said, “Yeah, he does that to a lot of the young guys out here.”

I’ve come to realize that my encounter with Larry was a perfect illustration of a principle Solomon tried to teach his sons:

Proverbs 24:5
A wise warrior is better than a strong one,
and a man of knowledge than one of strength

Even though I had an advantage when it came to strength and speed, Larry’s wise use of his knowledge and skills easily defeated me.  But we can see that Solomon’s principle is applicable to more than just basketball, because he continues:

Proverbs 24:6
for you should wage war with sound guidance –
victory comes with many counselors.

Relying solely on our own skills actually hinders us, because it keeps our options and ideas limited to what we can come up with…instead, Solomon directs us to seek out many counselors and their sound guidance.  If we’re going to set out to “win” at anything…going at it alone is not recommended.  Doing so will guarantee that when you run into a “Larry” you will have no more answers than I did to his challenge.

If I had asked Larry for advice on how to guard him better, I’m certain that his response would have been “practice more, and then we’ll talk”.  But I also learned a valuable lesson that day – never judge an old guy’s skills just because he looks “old”.  Since then, I’ve encountered many wise warriors who may not have looked the part, but they were people with incredible strengths.  I was fortunate to have many of them speak sound guidance into my life.

Joe used to always tell me, “I’ve already made all the mistakes.  If you listen to me, you won’t have to make them, too.”  He was absolutely right.  He helped me avoid many pitfalls that a young married father could have succumbed to.  Now that I’m a little older, I’m starting to say the same thing to younger folks, hoping to spare them, as well.

So, tell me, do you have wise counselors in your life?
Or, better yet, are you a wise counselor for others?

Keep Pressing,
Ken