While on a mission assignment, I traveled out of town to pick up donations of school supplies for students in need in the United States and a particular orphanage in another part of the globe. While loading my truck, a young girl was walking by. She was bouncing her basketball down the street. She stopped, stared at me and walked over to where the trucked was being loaded. After saying hello, she approached me. She was curious to why I was there and what I was doing. She said to me, “Why are you here? Where are you from? How tall are you? You are very tall! Did you play basketball in school? If you did, would you teach me how to dribble a basketball?” Being in such a hurry and running behind schedule, I decided to slow down and take the time to speak with her. I told her that I was almost 6 feet, 3 inches tall and that I played basketball in college on a scholarship. I was more than happy to teach her how to dribble the basketball. She laughed, challenged me, and enjoyed learning techniques of the sport. She smiled, thanked me and walked away beaming with pride. It was a moment in time that I will never forget. Children are precious gifts from heaven. They need guidance, encouragement, love, understanding, and most importantly, they need our time. Take time out and inspire a child.
Patrice Tankard