15 Minute Transformation

Marjolein stands nearly 6 feet tall in the eighth grade. She's Dutch and she smiles a lot.

Yesterday during JV Girls' basketball practice I noticed that even though she's literally head and shoulders above the other girls, Marjolein crouches with the ball after a rebound. She cradles it under her arms and looks for a pass to the safer outside rather than taking the shot right back up.

After practice I pointed out her tendancy to do this. Then we had her practice getting a rebound off the backboard and taking it straight back up without bringing the ball down. We also had her practice V-cutting and transitioning a pass directly into a short jump shot. Lastly we practiced jumping as high as possible on layups and rebounds.

Only working on these skills for 15 minutes, Marjolein showed marked improvement. It seemed as though all she needed was someone to show her what to do in place of what she's habitually learned. 15 minutes and she's that much more of a dominant player.

A great parallel for my discipleship with students. A short amount of focused time relearning how to respond, how to listen, how to trust, and lives can be transformed.

Thank God for the men and women who took 15 minutes with me throughout the years. You have transformed me, and now I can work to transform others.