Dapping up for Jesus

The past few weeks I’ve written several blogs about God answering some of my prayers, but here’s a new story about God providing a little wish I spoke to my team! 

Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart.”

The Lord wants to be close with us and give us the wishes of our hearts. The more you read the Bible and grow closer to God, the more your heart aligns with Him, making those wishes look more like His. Sometimes I get caught up in looking for what He wants me to do and thinking that it will never be what I “want” to do. But I forget that as my heart grows closer to Him, my wishes and His will grow in alignment. 

The first week we were here in Shkoder, we were walking down our street back to our Airbnb, and I heard some kids playing basketball inside their courtyard. I told my team, “I’m trying to get in there to play some basketball sometime with those kids.” It was just a little wish I shared, but there was truth in it. Although I got to play basketball once in Romania, Europe plays futbol (American soccer) and not as much basketball. So, when I saw some kids shooting hoops that first day, I was intrigued by them. 

Quick back story: I really got into playing basketball in college; playing with my friends, who actually played basketball. They taught me how to shoot properly, to dribble, to layup, etc. I’d go to the gym even after my practices (I was a track athlete in college, if you didn’t know) to shoot with friends or late at night for a study break. Then during quarantine, two years ago, I had a torn patellar tendon in my knee. Frustrated and locked in, I had nothing much I could do. So, my dad bought me a net for the hoop on our silo, and for hours a day, I’d stand out there, on one leg, and shoot baskets. Sometimes I would listen to music, but most often I’d talk to God. I really grew to love it, and playing basketball became associated with time with God. Then, when I was in Hawaii, I taught the kids I nannied, to shoot. We’d spend hours, literally in the rain or shine, playing PIG (or we’d change it up and spell out our names.) Sweet moments, which became some of my favorite memories during my time in college and Hawaii. 

Back to the real story… We’re staying in an Airbnb hosted by a sweet Albanian man, who speaks Italian. A few days after arriving, we met his grandsons, the SAME boys that were playing basketball!! Over the first week, we got to know them a little, as they’d come over with their grandpa to help translate when he checked on us, or when our power went out, etc. Then Sunday afternoon, the two boys and their grandpa came over to gift us Albanian magnets and they invited us to come play basketball with them at 6pm!! That evening, my teammate, Travis, and I went down the street a few doors, where we were welcomed with smiles and basketballs for all of us to use. The four of us shot around for a few minutes, the boys showing off their sweet skills and shots. Then their grandpa came out and we started a game. 

The 12-year-old and Travis versus the 7-year-old, the grandpa and me. 

It was one of the best games of basketball I’ve ever played, not because of my skill, but because of the joy that surrounded us as we played. Laughter along with the words, “wow,” “good,” “check,” and “shoot,” consumed the whole game, as well as the boys dapping us up. 

Dapping up: verb. An unspoken greeting performed or done by fist bumping, tapping, or hitting used to greet someone similar to a handshake or an expression of admiration. 

An amazing evening with them ended in hugs all around and requests that we play again sometime. Now, whenever we see the kids in the street, they dap us up. It’s sweet how God uses little wishes to make friendships grow. Even maybe a selfish little wish to play something I loved, ended up being an opportunity to show Christ's love in us to our neighbors. Thankful for sweet moments that remind me of home! 

P.S. I bet you’re wondering… the final score… 35-38, my team taking the trophy!! 

Please be praying for my team as we close up our relationship with our host and continue on to…. wait… we’re staying in Shkoder for a few more weeks!!! But we’ll be partnering with a church. Tell you more soon!

Love you all,
Clara Grace