When in Doubt, Turn to Christ

Posted on Apr 15, 2020 Topic :
Posted by : Ted Kluck

Middle-school football player Flex has joined the school play so he can spend more time around KK, the mysterious drama girl. So far, it's not going well. His frustration with his drama coach, Mr. Edgren, is growing and so is his bad attitude about theater, KK, and just life in general. In this excerpt from The Outstanding Life of an Awkward Theater Kid, Flex's dad (aka Pops) has some good advice on where to go for help.

***

Pops has the Bible open to Ecclesiastes again.

“You don’t look good, Flex,” he says. “Are you eating?”

I say nothing and just stare at my hands.

“Look,” he says. “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about something.”

“What?” I ask.

“About the fact that in one or two generations, nobody will even remember our names. All my hard work here—all the football practices, the meetings, the lifts—none of it will amount to anything.”

Sometimes Pops gets philosophical. Especially when he reads Ecclesiastes.

“I know you feel trapped, Flex,” he says.

I do. Extremely. Finally, I talk.

“What are my options?” I ask.

“Well, without Christ, you’d have no options,” Pops explains. “You’d just suffer alone, continuing to lash out and make excuses. Your pride and your embarrassment would eat away at you, and you’d be controlled by fear. But with Christ, we can pray… we can confess our sins and our fears, and we can ask for help. His help. The help of others. We can pray that you’ll find a friend at play practice. Somebody you can rely on. Someone to show you some kindness.”

“Would you pray that?” I ask.

“I will,” he says. And then he does. And I cry.

Argh. He slides his phone across the table. He nods at it. I stare at the phone for a long time. I imagine Edgren at home. He’s probably reciting French poetry to his wife, or whittling a bust of C.S. Lewis out of wood, or playing the violin. Or teaching Latin to a newborn baby. There is for sure a fire crackling in a fireplace.

“I think Edgren is a brother in Christ,” Pops explains. “And if that’s true, then it will be a privilege and a joy for him to extend grace to you.”

“How do you know he’s a Christian?” I ask.

“I just do. His kindness, his joy. The fact that he’s quick to apologize and forgive. These are fruits of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”

“Those are good things,” I say.

I take a deep breath and dial the number.

In the background I can hear the television playing a sitcom and a baby crying. Huh. No violin music or poetry readings. To be honest I’m a little disappointed.

I apologize.

And then what Pops said comes true. Edgren is full of grace and understanding. He forgives me when I ask for it.

And I’m reminded once again that Jesus is real. Because if He wasn’t, stuff like this wouldn’t happen.