“And I am sure that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.” -Philippians 1:6
Mikal Bridges is a small forward for the New York Knicks. He was drafted in the first round after playing for Villanova University for three years. Mikal is 6’6” and incredibly athletic. He has had an extremely successful NBA career, recently named the NBA Player of the Week. Mikal Bridges currently holds the record for most consecutive NBA games played. He has not missed a game since he was drafted over six years ago. Mikal is living the dream of being a professional athlete well.
Unlike many athletes, Mikal’s first dream was not to be a professional ball player. Mikal has always wanted to be a second-grade teacher. Last Spring, Mikal was able to explore his dream of teaching. After playing a game in Cleveland, his team arrived back home around 1:30 am. Although he was exhausted, Mikal excitedly arrived at PS 134 early that morning. Instead of basketball, Mikal would work as a teacher for the day.
His day was filled with teaching various subjects. Mikal excelled in leading gym class. The students loved to interact with basketball star. They could ask all kinds of questions about his personal and professional life. One student asked him, “Why didn’t you be a teacher if you wanted to be?” Mikal answered honestly. He said, “Because of basketball. But basketball doesn’t go on forever. This is just the first part of my journey, so I think teacher is going to come up next.”
Mikal enjoyed his day of teaching. In part, he loves being in the classroom because of his own positive experience as a second-grade student. Mikal believed his second-grade year was one of his best years because of Ms. Porter. She was an exceptional teacher who inspired her students to follow their dreams. His gratitude for Ms. Porter has Mikal dreaming about another career when his time in the NBA is over.
The practice of gratitude can open our minds to new possibilities. Did you know the average NBA player is in the league for 4.8 years? That is a very short career. Change will come, but with gratitude as a foundation, players like Mikal will see many possibilities ahead. When we are intentional about being thankful for our blessings and the people who have made a difference in our lives, we will also begin to see a world of possibilities.
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
