There is a rookie with the Miami Heat who scored 40 points in an NBA exhibition game this year. It really got my attention for a couple of reasons. First of all, rookies don’t usually score that many points in an exhibition game, especially a rookie who was undrafted and so unheralded. The second reason it got my attention was that this player was from Oakland University, north of Detroit. They play in the Horizon League, the same League that the University of Detroit Mercy Titans play in. The Miami Heat rookie’s name is Kendrick Nunn. You may of never heard of him, but you probably will hear of him often in the years to come.

A Great Start

In the first 5 regular-season games of his NBA career, he scored 112 points. This is the most by an undrafted player in NBA history. He is also the first player to reach the 100-point mark in his first 5 games into his career since Kevin Durant in the 2007-2008 season.

After one of the games, Kendrick was interviewed by a reporter on TNT Sports and was asked the reasons for his confidence. Most rookies are cautious to take a lot of shots when they first come into the NBA, especially when the game is on the line. Remember,  he was an undrafted College player who played in the minor pro G-League last year. In response to the reporter’s question, Nunn replied that it came from his faith in Jesus Christ and just plain hard work. “Just laying it all out on the floor” were his exact words.

We All Have A Calling

I think this is an excellent testimony of how God works in our lives. He gifts all of us with certain talents and abilities. I also believe that the Lord gives us a passion many times in the area He gifts us. This is all tied into His calling or vocation for our lives. The Lord wants us to make an impact in this world for His glory. He wants us to serve Him in the area of our giftedness and passion. Not only are we to serve Him and be a blessing to Him, but we are to serve others and bless others through our calling. But this requires hard work and a perseverance not to give up in the face of challenges.

A big part of Kendrick’s calling is being a  professional basketball player. He is more than a basketball player. He is also called to serve the Lord in other ways, maybe as father and husband. Nonetheless, his craft right now is to play basketball in the NBA. He is a great example of someone who has stayed in the fight. Even in College he was unheralded. He graduated from Oakland University, but his first three years of College basketball was played at the University of Illinois. He didn’t play a lot so he transferred to a smaller school. He never gave up. He believed that the Lord had put much more in his tank. He just needed to play more to develop the skills he knew that were within him.

It was Kendrick’s faith in the Lord which strengthened him and guided him. The Lord gave him power and wisdom to keep working and to make the right decisions in his life. May the Lord continue to work in him and through him. May he honor the Lord and bless others as he carries out His God-given vocation in this world.

QOTD: Are you  faithfully serving the Lord in the area of your giftedness and passion? Is your life a blessing to the Lord and to others?