Epicenters, Olympics, Basketball and BASS

While the world is still dealing with the devastation of the Haiti earthquake, another massive earthquake (one of the strongest ever at 8.8-magnitude) struck Chile. It is inevitable to compare the “cause and effect” of the damages and recovery of Port-au-Prince and Santiago, the two capital cities, and the people involved. Earthquakes will happen, and the ability to recover will be different!

Courage in Spite of Grief and Loss

24-year-old Canadian Joannie Rochette won a bronze medal of women's figure skating in the 2010 Winter Olympics. However, it felt like gold to everyone watching her skate in the final, only four days after her mother’s sudden death.

Therese Rochette died of a heart attack at age 55 just a few hours after arriving Vancouver. She was going to watch her daughter compete as a medal favorite on their home soil. Joannie was taken to the hospital that Sunday to see her mom's body and say goodbyes. She skated in practice that afternoon dressed in black.

After finishing her routine on Thursday, Joannie threw back her head and blew a kiss to the heavens. Millions of hearts were touched.

Later Joanne shared, "There were moments when I said to myself, 'I really don't want to do this. I want to take the first plane, go home, see my grandparents, my family.' But I said to myself that in 10 years time, when I would think about all of this and when my mourning would be over, I would probably have wished that I had skated here … That was the way that mom raised me, to be faithful to the person that she made of me, to make her proud."

Winning is Not Everything

Joannie won one bronze medal and the world was proud for her courage. How about someone who has excelled far beyond and was still discontent?

27-year-old American Apolo Anton Ohno won three medals in 2010. In his Olympics career, he has won two gold, two silver, and four bronze medals. He is considered to be the greatest short-track speed-skater in history!

Unfortunately, Apolo showed no grace at the final moments of his Olympics career. After being disqualified in his last event, he damaged his own reputation. While we understand his disappointment of not winning another medal, his swipe at a celebrating host was unnecessary and without base. Fair or not fair, every behavior has its consequences.

Winner of a Different Kind

One of my Olympics heroes is Eric Liddell (1902-1945) who was often called the “Flying Scotsman” after breaking records of running. Born in Tianjin to parents who were Scottish missionaries, Eric stayed in China his first few years. At the age of six, Eric and his older brother were sent to a boarding school in England while their parents and sister returned to China.

As times went by, Eric became well-known for being the fastest runner in Scotland. He had the potential to win the first gold medal for his country during the summer Olympics of 1924 in Paris. Nevertheless, as a committed Christian, he refused to run the 100 meters race (his best event) on Sunday. Instead, he ran the 400 meters race. His record-winning gold medal in the 400m was largely unexpected.

The story of Eric Liddell inspired a major film “Chariots of Fire” (1981) with this tagline: “This is the story of two men who run...not to run...but to prove something to the world. They will sacrifice anything to achieve their goals...Except their honor.” (Note: Although the film dramatized his sudden switch from 100m to 400m, in reality Eric made that decision early and trained for 400m in which he had previously excelled.)

God gave Eric the passion and speed to run and he ran for the glory of God. He chose to return to China in 1925 and serve as a missionary for almost twenty years. In 1943, he was sent to a Japanese-run internment camp. Even in the camp, he helped the elderly, taught Bible classes, arranged games, and taught children. He died of an inoperable brain tumor in 1945 but his life is his ministry!

“And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3:17)

Pray for ABCs and Vote for Jeremy Lin

Another athlete I admire is Michael Chang who was born to play tennis! With all his accomplishments, it is a joy to know that this ABC is a follower of Christ.

A few days ago I received an e-mail from a mom. Shirley Lin is my long-time friend and co-worker of Children’s Ministry. Her middle child is Jeremy who loves basketball. I remember how Shirley helped Jermey pursue his dreams while learning to manage his time and priority. Through out Junior High and High School, in spite of his busy basketball schedule, Jeremy attended worship and youth groups, taught Sunday school, and served as a game leader at many of our Vacation Bible School programs!

Harvard University senior guard Jeremy Lin is one of 11 finalists for the coveted Bob Cousy Collegiate Point Guard of the Year Award. Watch his “Best Ever” highlights made by Harvard at


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVVzGm8SbOM&feature=player_embedded

or

http://www.gocrimson.com/sports/mbkb/2009-10/releases/100223_Lin_Cousy_Promo

Encourage family and friends to vote for Jeremy everyday when there is still time (the last day is March 5) at

http://www.cousyaward.com/vote.php

Whether Jeremy wins or not, keep praying for him as a beloved child of God. Pray for him and other ABCs as they pursue their passions and dreams that seem far-fetched for OBC parents like us! Remember that God designs them and God has a purpose for them. Pray for those who are discouraged and feeling unworthy. Pray that they know God accepts them and loves them unconditionally. Pray that they would walk with Christ daily and trust in God no matter what happens because God has His will, His way, and His timing.

“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).

Basketball was one of my favorite sports. Believe it or not, I was chosen for my High School team in Hong Kong! We never won any tournament but I learned and practiced something I loved. In my thirties, as an engineering manager, I still played “pick up” games with male colleagues under the sun. I was not as tall, as strong, nor as fast as them, but I got better in shooting and won “down-town Winnis” as my nick name.

I love playing basketball with young people, especially our son. When he was 10, James and I took him on our first mission trip to an Indian Reservation. The team members are mainly high schoolers and their counselors. As the trip concluded, we wrote appreciation notes for one another. One of them read, “Dear Auntie Winnis, thank you for being out there in the sun playing basketball with us. That shows us how much you care about young people. That shows Jesus’ love!”

Epicenter – Where Ministry Begins – See You at BASS!

BASS (Bay Area Sunday School) has been a center of Christian Education in Bay Area for almost fifty years. Each year, more than 3,500 people attended the convention in Castro Valley in March. Their website is at http://bassconvention.org

This year’s dates are March 4-6. The theme "Epicenter – Where Ministry Begins" is chosen because “ministry begins with a vision or dream by your church leadership and as your church develops this dream it begins to radiate out from your church and its members, touching hearts and lives in your neighborhood and community. We, at BASS, see our mission as equipping you to have this impact in your community for the glory of God. Our desire is to train, motivate and encourage you toward this ministry impact.”

The speakers for general sessions are Luis Palau (Thursday), John Ortberg (Friday), and John Teter (Saturday). There will be hundreds of workshops in various categories. I would love to meet you at BASS. Here are the workshops I am leading in English, Cantonese or Mandarin.

1.“Help! Nobody is Listening!” (E) -- Room D5, Friday 9:00 to 10:15 AM
2.“Parenting American Born Chinese (E) -- Room D5, Friday 10:30 to 11:45 AM
3.“Parenting Through Sibling Conflicts” (M) -- Room N10, Saturday 8:00 to 9:15 AM
4.“Help! Nobody is Listening!” (C) -- Room N10, Saturday 12:45 to 2:00 PM
5.“Making Your Good Marriage Great” (C) -- Room N10, Saturday 3:45 to 5:00 PM

If you are interested in knowing more about these workshops, select my name on the page using this link: http://bassconvention.org/workshops_leader.cfm

Join me and tell a friend!

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Want to reprint this article? No problem! Just make sure you include a complete attribution and, whenever possible, a live link to our website. Please notify Winnis where and when the material will appear. The attribution should include this information:

Winnis Chiang, MA, MFT, Founder and Director of Parenting ABC, is a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist. Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and English, she specializes in helping couples and parents of American Born Chinese. To find out more about her programs and services, visit www.parentingabc.com or call 925-806-8600.