An Important Match Point

An Important Match Point

All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.

1 Corinthians 9:25

Tiffany pushed the locker shut with her tennis racket. The team had been counting on her, and she’d lost the match. If they had won this tournament, they would have gone on to state. But she’d missed returning that last ball, and it had cost them the championship. And what aggravated her the most was she could have cheated and called the ball out of bounds. It had been so close to the line her opponent couldn’t see it clearly. But, instinctively, Tiffany had called it in and had handed the victory to the opponent.

What a dummy I am, she thought. Who cares whether anybody lies over the call of a ball?

Tiffany couldn’t wait to get to her car. She wanted out of this building and away from these tormenting thoughts.

Just as she arrived at her vehicle, she heard someone call her name. She turned and saw her coach hurrying to her. When she arrived, she put her arm around Tiffany’s shoulder.

“I was at the doubles court during your last set,” she said. “So I didn’t see the final volley, but I heard about it.”

Tiffany cringed, but Coach continued. “I want you to know I’m proud of you. A lesser woman would have lied and called the ball out. The other coach was standing behind you and saw how close it was. You’ve got to know, she’s really impressed with your caliber.”

Tiffany muttered, “Yeah, thanks, but it cost us the tournament.”

Coach nodded. “I know,” she said. “But in the greater scheme of things, it’s your honesty that’s going to matter, not the tournament. We have to look at ourselves every day in the mirror, and those seemingly little decisions start us on major pathways. You did the right thing. I’m proud of you.”

Coach thumped Tiffany’s shoulder. “Now don’t forget; everybody’s meeting at my house at six thirty. Come hungry.” —SANDRA

Lord, how would I have called the ball that day in the tournament? I want to do the right thing, but it’s easy to give in when a lot is at stake. I need your help to do the right thing.

Honesty consists of the unwillingness to lie to others; maturity, which is equally hard to attain, consists of the unwillingness to lie to oneself.

—SYDNEY HARRIS (1917–1986), AMERICAN JOURNALIST