All for Jesus
by Jamison (Jim) Brown
“Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar…”
The stadium’s metal bleachers vibrated as the cheerleaders led the crowd in a rousing cheer. Leah tugged at her loose-fitting skirt, which was only holding on thanks to a last-minute safety pin she had borrowed from an experienced mother.
With each shake, her purple and white pompoms blotted out her little body, making it difficult for her anxious grandmother to keep track of her every move and facial expression. Selection for the kindergarten pep squad was an honor and made capturing high-quality pictures very important.
As the final whistle blew and the crowd began to disperse, Miss Katy, the pep squad coach, gathered the young cheerleaders into a small circle.
“Great job, everyone!” Miss Katy said, beaming with pride.
She then turned her warm smile to Leah. “And Leah, you especially did a wonderful job tonight. Remember, cheering isn’t just for the team. It’s for everyone around you—even Jesus. When you cheer for others, you’re sharing His joy and love with the world.”
Leah’s eyes lit up. She had never thought of cheering that way before. “So, I can really cheer for Jesus?” she asked.
“You sure can,” Miss Katy replied. “You can cheer for Jesus at any age, at any time. It doesn’t even need to be a special occasion.”
On the ride home from the stadium, Leah couldn’t stop thinking of all the ways she could cheer for others. Remembering Miss Katy’s words, she asked her grandmother, “Were you ever a cheerleader? Do you ever cheer for Jesus?”
Leah’s question stirred her grandmother’s memories. She recalled her younger days, full of passion for her faith, when she eagerly shared Jesus’ message with everyone she met.
“I guess I was a cheerleader for Jesus once,” her grandmother said softly. “But I don’t cheer much anymore.”
Leah couldn’t understand why anyone wouldn’t want to be a cheerleader for Jesus.
“I’ll cheer for you,” she whispered to her grandmother.
“Two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar, all for Jesus…”
“Let us encourage one another and build each other up.”
– 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NIV)
Comments(3)
Grace C Walter says:
September 19, 2024 at 3:00 pmYes, even when we’re 90 and full of aches and pains, we can still cheer for Jesus!
Jim says:
September 19, 2024 at 8:38 pmThank you for cheering, Miss Grace!
Jon Hauerwas says:
September 20, 2024 at 9:42 amJim, I really like what you’ve done here. You’ve challenged us to reframe how we view life’s many joys. There is deep fulfillment associated with using our gifts and skills in service of something greater than ourselves. In the context of the church, we recognize that we are all on the same team and, as Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 12, each part of Christ’s body has an important function. Just as there are no inferior parts of the body, there are no inferior gifts in God’s kingdom.