Watching the amazing Tennis Championships at Wimbledon this week reminded me the origin of the word “Tennis” comes from the French word “Tenez!” meaning, “Take that!” Yes, this is what is played out on the tennis court hour after hour of two players slugging it out all the while grunting, “Take that!” back and forth until one is defeated. Sometimes the match can be so grueling, one player raises their hands before the match is officially concluded and with resigned voice utters, “I can’t go on.”

Back in July of 2013 in the Men’s 45 Singles Championship match at the Quad States Open Tennis Tournament in Moline, Illinois I found myself matched up against a gentleman named Darren who wore a Superman shirt along with a Superman hat.

Before the match began at 10:00 am he said something to me no other tennis player had ever said to me, “God bless you David…” I returned the blessing and the match was on.

He took the first set in a tiebreaker. 

In the second set I was leading 4-1 when muscle cramps began to plague Darren. After every point he would freeze, bend over and put his hands on his knees or sometimes on the ground. This went on for four more games as I won the set 6-3.

His wife Ali kept bringing him bottle after bottle of Gatorade. He must have downed 15 bottles of Gatorade while we played in the 88 degree summer heat and humidity. After the second set was over Ali delivered another couple of bottles to Darren. As she passed by me she said with an easy going smile, “This is a really good match. You guys are playing great.”

I looked at her and said, “Darren is a warrior…”
She stopped, smile and said, “Yes he is…” before walking off the court.

With his legs cramping during and after every point, Darren won the first two games of the third set.
My strategy for the third set was simple… Make him run for every ball…

I won the third game easily.
We switched sides and as I walked past Darren with his hands on his knees, he uttered, 

“I can’t go on.”

We had been on the court for close to three hours…
We were both exhausted…

I turned to him and tears spontaneously filled my eyes and I uttered,
“Darren… you are a warrior.”

He smiled and his faint voice offered, “Thank you…”
I placed my hand on his shoulder and offered these words,
“Darren, before the match you said, ‘God bless you David.’ Would you mind if I prayed for you right now.”

The two of us embraced in our sweat filled clothes, leaning on one another and I prayed, thanking God for the opportunity and privilege to be on the battlefield of good competition, for God’s healing hand to be on Darren’s body and thanked God for Darren’s wife and friends who were cheering him on.

I closed with, “I pray these things in the name of Jesus.”
I opened my eyes and his right hand was extended as high as Darren could lift it and he said, “Yes… thank you Jesus.”

His wife quickly appeared with more Gatorade. (She didn’t offer me one!!! Ha ha!!)

We stood around the net post and told our stories to one another for a few minutes with him explaining the “Superman” attire and then we went off to collect our respective trophies.

Great match Darren!
You are a warrior!
You are a Super Man!
It was an honor to compete against you.

Laugh Often And Fear Not…

We have all had the same experience as Darren…

We have battled on the tennis court of life and the heat, the humidity, the competition and the score is such at some point in time we fall to our knees and utter, “I can’t go on…”

What happens when we utter in resignation, “I can’t go on?”
What happens when we have had enough of life’s “Tenez!”?

I’ve said it…
You probably have too…

It’s not that we are unwilling.
It’s not that we are unavailable.
It’s not that we are unbelieving.
It’s a simple matter we cannot go on.

What happens when I can’t go on?

I wish I had a great answer for you…

Here’s my take though…

When “I can’t go on”, when the onslaught of the “take thats” have made my knees buckle, I do believe Jesus sidles up next to me, places his arm around me and holds me right then and there with an embrace of incredible love, comfort and empathy and whispers in my ear, “You are a warrior! I’ve got you and I love you…”

He’s been there too…
Jesus is a warrior!

Jesus revels in the competition on the battlefield of life.
He’s only been defeated once and that was only for three days before he came back and kicked Death’s butt all over the place.
Jesus is greater than Superman!

Our “I can’t go on…” may last three minutes, three hours, three days, three years or perhaps three decades.
You are not alone…
You are a warrior…
You are a super man…
You are a super woman…
You will be back on the battlefield before you know it…

But until then…
Let the One who is not the “Man of Steel”, but rather the “Man of Compassion” and great warmth and love infuse you with the living water (spiritual Gatorade) of the Holy Spirit to refresh your soul to prepare you for the next match…

Yes… there will be more battles….
There will be more people grunting, “Take that!”

And if I happen to see you on the court of life please know one thing…

I will embrace you and we will celebrate the fact we are warriors who will and “can go on…”

Laugh Often And Fear Not!
David!

“But God said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12. 9-10)

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