Who's Safe?

You may have had your head in the sand last week if you missed the blockbuster trade with the Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers. Luka Doncic was traded to LA for Anthony Davis, along with some other players. Luka was probably one of the most popular players in the history of Dallas sports. Dallas fans were not happy.

The Dallas Maverick franchise was built on loyalty, and respect, and treated players and fans as if they were part of a family. But Mark Cuban gave up his General Manager duties to a shoe salesman who was the one who traded Luka to LA. Fans were shocked, furious, and literally in disbelief. Luka seemed in shock as well. He thought he would spend the rest of his years playing basketball in Dallas.

Anthony Edwards, a player in the NBA, said “I’m scared…yeah, yeah, I’m scared. If my owner is gonna trade me let me know. When Luka got traded anybody can get traded at this point.” Nikola Jokic, another player, said “Seems like nobody’s safe, and probably should be that way, you know.” Devin Booker said “It’s crazy man. I really don’t know what to say about it. You just can’t predict it, it’s a business. They’re always having a conversation about you, so don’t think you’re safe at any point.”

I guess we should not be shedding too many tears for these guys getting traded. They’re super rich and can pretty much do what they want. However, wait. They're STILL human beings with feelings, friends, hopes, and dreams and a place they call home.

The truth is we can all struggle with feeling safe. Whether it’s feeling safe in our jobs, safe with our health, or safe with our education, deep down, we struggle too. We could be doing a half marathon one day and the next day experience a serious injury.

How do we find a sense of security and protection from the craziness of circumstances around us? No matter what life throws our way, we can find safety in Christ’s love. You and I are always cherished and loved by God. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we enjoy a personal relationship with Him. Jesus' love is unconditional. He will never trade you, leave you, reject you, or betray you. When we get that our identity and well-being are rooted in God’s love (not our exceptional work, title, skills, or popularity) we find a sure and safe haven in God’s love despite the external circumstances.

I love the words of Tabitha Panariso “We can be led into this life, not in fear of rejection, but in the safety of Christ’s love. We can live at peace with ourselves even when someone turns their back on us. We can come without our weapons to those who accuse us and reject us, fully believing that the Lord’s voice and authority forms, guides, and protects us.”(Loyal in His Love)

Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain of the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.