Every encounter is a chance to evangelize

"As to the past, let us entrust it to God’s mercy, the future to divine providence.  Our task is to live holy the present moment.”
— St. Gianna Molla

 I started coaching basketball when I was in high school.  I really enjoyed teaching young players the game and enjoyed the competitive aspect.  Before I began full-time ministry, I was coaching basketball at a school in Dallas.  From a coaching perspective, I always enjoy building a team.  Watching players work together for a common goal is inspiring.  It was very difficult to leave this coaching position when I accepted a full-time position in ministry outside of Dallas.  For me, it is very difficult to leave a team that is developing.  At practices and in games, I always wanted to be in the moment and not waste the opportunity to improve.  Every drill in practice was building on the foundation and every situation in a game presented an opportunity to learn while also impacting the outcome of the game.  Basketball season was very demanding, but also very rewarding.   
About a year ago, I received an email from a former player, Jack.  He lives in the area, read my column in "The Catholic Week" and reached out to me to catch up.  It was great to hear from him.  A few weeks back Jack reached out again and asked if I would assist him in coaching his daughter’s basketball team.  This was completely unexpected and I felt honored to be asked.  It has been a long time since I coached Jack and I am glad that I was even considered to assist.  It has also been a while since I coached basketball so I am getting back into that frame of mind.  When I started in full-time ministry, my coaching experience was forming my ministry.  As I get back into coaching a team, I feel like my ministry experience is forming my coaching.  I am a different coach than I was when I coached the young man that I am now assisting.  I have experienced a lot of different situations over those years and learned about myself and how I encounter other people.  Each day and each situation is an opportunity to share my faith through my words and actions.
In my position in youth and young adult ministry, I have many different situations and opportunities to encounter people.  I visit parishes, attend workshops and conferences, interact with co-workers.  It is easy to take for granted situations when you are going from one situation to another and not be fully invested.  I really believe it is important to fully participate in each opportunity.  I try to figure out my role and embrace that role to give my best in each situation.  It is so easy to be distracted by our cellphones which keep us from fully participating.
I was an extra on an episode of “Walker, Texas Ranger.” I played baseball and I was asked if some of my teammates and I would like to be extras for a baseball scene on an episode.  During the filming, my teammates and I were standing around talking with each other.  One of the main actors, Clarence Gilyard, walked over and joined the conversation.  During the conversation, the director said that he needed Mr. Gilyard for something.  I will never forget how he handled the situation.  If he had just walked off without acknowledging us, we would have understood.  Instead, he excused himself to us and said that he would be back shortly.  It might seem like a small thing but I thought it spoke highly of the person.  Every encounter in our life is an opportunity to evangelize and I am thankful for these opportunities and hope to share my faith in these moments.
— Tex Phelps is the Director of the Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministry for the Archdiocese of Mobile. He may be emailed at [email protected]
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