Save Me

by Phylicia Joannis

CHAPTER SEVEN

  Spiritual Tests

  Martin dribbles the cold basketball outside as he waits for Mr. James. He promised to show Martin the move he’d used the day before. It’s nearly seven in the morning, but Martin never went to sleep. He’d been up all night, thinking.

  “You ready?” Mr. James steps into the driveway with a jersey and a grin.

  Martin frowns as he dribbles the ball. “I don’t think I can do this.”

  Mr. James steps in front of Martin and takes the ball. “It’s not as hard as it looks, Martin. It’s all in the footwork.”

  Martin shakes his head. “That’s not what I mean.” Mr. James waits for Martin to continue. “Last night I saw myself for the first time, and I didn’t like it. How do I know I’ve changed?”

  Mr. James sighs. “Let me show you.” Martin watches as Mr. James moves his feet back and forth as he dribbles the ball.

  “The first step to learning this move is balance. You’re not going to get it right away. Sometimes you’ll lean too far to the left, and sometimes you’ll lean too far to the right. If you lean too far, you’ll trip over your feet. But that’s okay, because you’re just learning. Don’t be afraid to trip, because if you just stand still, you’ll never learn the rhythm. Try rocking back and forth on your feet.”

  Martin nods as he watches Mr. James, then imitates his feet.

  Mr. James smiles. “Good. The next step is a little trickier. You’ve got to learn when and where to move your feet.” Mr. James bobs back and forth, switching his feet in a pattern Martin has trouble following.

  “There’s a pattern we’ve been given to follow, Martin. You have to learn the pattern and study it, then put it into practice. That’s how you learn when and where to move your feet.”

  Martin tries to mimic Mr. James, but he steps on his right foot with his left.

  “Ugh! This is stupid!” Martin frowns and turns towards the house.

  “Martin, you have to keep moving,” Mr. James says softly. “If you stop moving, you stop learning and you never grow.”

  Martin sighs and turns back around.

  “Try again,” Mr. James instructs him. Martin tries again, but messes up. He looks at Mr. James, frustrated.

  “Remember what I said, Martin,” Mr. James encourages him. “You’re going to mess up. It’s okay. You’re still learning.”

  Martin keeps trying the steps, and with Mr. James’ help, he gets through the pattern with only a few missteps.

  “Very good,” Mr. James smiles. “The next part is a little tougher; it requires more focus. You start dribbling the ball while you move your feet.” Mr. James begins dribbling and Martin grabs his face with his hands.

  “Are you kidding me?” Martin groans.

  “Sometimes you’ve got to juggle more than one thing at a time,” Mr. James laughs. “Do you remember when you first learned to dribble and walk at the same time?”

  Martin shrugs. “Sure.”

  “Think of this as the same thing. At first it’s awkward and difficult to command your feet and hands at the same time, but with practice, it’ll become as natural as breathing.”

  Martin nods and grabs the ball from Mr. James. He practices dribbling while moving and smiles when he accomplishes both with even fewer mistakes than before. “What’s step four?”

  Mr. James swells and steps in front of Martin. “Step four is opposition. You’ve got balance, direction, and focus right now, but when opposition comes, it changes everything. You’ve got to learn how to deal with opposition.”

  “How do I do that?” Martin continues to dribble the ball.

  “Trust,” Mr. James replies. “You’ve got to trust that what’s in you, what you’ve learned, what you’ve practiced, what you’ve studied will be enough to get you through.”

  Martin stops dribbling the ball. “We’re not just talking about the move, are we?”

  Mr. James shakes his head. “In your walk with God, you will go through challenges. You’ll be dealing with inner turmoil as well as outer obstacles beyond your control. But these trials aren’t random. They’re spiritual tests.”

  “Tests?” Martin raises his eyebrows.

  “Yes, Martin,” Mr. James smiles. “And before a test is given, God equips you with the tools you need to pass. It’s up to you to learn them, study them, and practice them so that when the time comes, you’ll be ready.”

  “What if I fail?” Martin frowns.

  “Go back to step one,” Mr. James offers. “Find your balance and start again.” Mr. James holds his hands out for the ball and Martin tosses it to him.

  “Now, show me what you’ve learned.”