The Girl’s Basketball State Championship Game of March 13, 1999

I always strive to protect my Saturdays. No lawn-mowing. No trips. No workouts. No staying up late. Do nothing that would make me tired for Sunday morning.
However, in Trissi’s senior year in high school, my daughter’s school was in the girl’s basketball state championship game on a Saturday night. How could I deny her such a rare and memorable event of her high school life?! You are right, I couldn’t. But that Saturday was a day it snowed heavily. The roads were quite bad. So, unless she was riding in the snowplow and sand truck, I was going to take her myself!
The game was the late game. It was to begin at 9:00. Our team was there, but the opponents had not left early enough to compensate for the slow travel in the snow (which I claim was a tactic to make our girls tired). Finally they arrived, at 10:00. The game began at 10:30—the time it should have ended! and the time I should have been in bed!!
To our credit, we did leave at half-time. It had been snowing again and with the roads getting worse, it would have taken much longer than usual to get home. With only one close call of sliding into the ditch, we made it home at 12:07, tired and wearied by the excitement of the game and the tense stress of dangerous driving—all of which was done when I normally would have been resting peacefully in bed. Yes, this presents a most appropriate scenario for me to write about the motto: Sunday Mornings Are Made Or Lost On Saturday Nights—for, on Sunday morning, I was worn out.
Brethren, we need to protect our Saturday nights. When one frequently, or “without a second thought” takes part in activities or keeps late hours which results in him being tired and groggy on Sunday morning, is he really putting God first? (Ex. 20:3; Mat. 6:33; 22:37-38). Isn’t he acting like the Israelites who esteemed God lightly and went and “served other gods, and worshipped them”? (1 Kings 9:6; Jer. 25:6; 2 Chron. 7:19). Since worship is an act of reverence, is it not a lack of reverence if we habitually exhibit disrespect for the Lord’s Day by infringing upon it by what is done on Saturday night? If we intentionally make adequate preparations for company, work or other activities, what are we saying to God if we fail to do the same for Him? The Israelites made extensive preparations when they were to go before God (Ex. 19:10-15); do we possibly think we can do any less?
May we all take great care to be at worship, not only in presence (Heb. 10:25), but also in mental alertness (John 4:24). For truly, Sunday mornings are made or lost on Saturday nights.
Gary Henson