There he stood, this giant of a quiet and humble teenaged manchild.
His head was bowed with tears, he clearly could no longer control, streaming down.
A wildly raucous crowd whooped, whistled, laughed and cried out his name.
And then the big manchild spoke his heart.
“My mom did everything for me – I wouldn’t be here without my mom,” he said before adding the most magical words: “I’ve always dreamed of this happening.
“For it to actually happen, I just thank God for it.”
Oh, I just love that young man Zion Williamson.
And the sentiment was sealed as I watched him humbly thank his mother and our Lord for helping him achieve a longtime goal in his life.
Because of his ability and play in college, he was selected first among young men eligible to play professionally in the NBA.
The accomplishment, with all of its many, many built-in worldly twists, will, in countless ways, change Zion’s life forever.
And with Satan ever slithering around out there, we all know that at least a goodly share of the change may not come for the best.
But when I heard this young man thank God, in front of this world of worldly people, I saw a lot into his character.
And what I saw helped make me not fear for him on his journey.
It helped make me feel hope for him and other young men and young women in the world.
Somehow I could feel that he knows how to walk by the Holy Spirit. And his way will help encourage others to follow along.
Don’t we all feel that way at times about our cleary God fearing young folks ?
Of course we do:
It’s that Holy Spirit working in us, I’m certain, opening our eyes, letting us see that there are, indeed, more like us Christians out there.
It can’t be denied, that’s good food for us.
It’s the stuff that helps make us pray for all of our young ones and try to guide them along in the admonition of the Lord.
Surprisingly, in retrospect, just before my conversion to Christ, it often cheered me to hear a younger person speak humbly about God.
It would always seem to give me a more lively step.
Considering how steeped I’d been in unbelief, too, I remain awed by the great power that the Spirit clearly extended to me through others in those times.
And when I happened to see and hear Zion’s interview, just before I turned off my TV, I recognized the divine order.
It came to me as my own uncontrollable tears began rolling down:
“Write this,” the order seemed to go in my head, “share this on Lord’s Day.
“It never hurts to reaffirm that our God is alive and we can always see, at least, part of Him in others.”
Pray for that young man Zion and all of our young people in this world.
And always remember our Savior’s words:
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matt. 28:19).
Ozzie Roberts – June 23, 2019
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