Linsane Adaptation

Life is full of problems. Some trivial and some much more serious. There are always things in our way to potentially slow us down and hinder our progress. These trials are things that we need in order to become who God has planned for us to be. Many times we are faced with trials not because of things that we are necessarily doing wrong but simply because they are essential to lift us to new heights of progression.

We have a simple choice when we are faced with these trials. 1) Trust in the world and give up. 2) Trust in Jesus Christ and adapt to our situations. 

To trust in the world would be to give into temptation. To trust in the world would be to put things of the world above the things of God. It would be passiveness in a time where we must stand for what we believe in. It would be to give up when we feel that we've 'had enough trials'.

We must choose to trust in Christ. To do so is to keep going. To keep standing up and being assertive in the ways of righteousness. We must "push forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men" (2 Nephi 31:20). We cannot give up. This principle of not giving up is universal and can be applied in all that we do. 

I am a huge fan of basketball. Sue me. Because of my service as a missionary I am unable to watch or follow the NCAA or the NBA like I did at home. However, I have heard a thing or two through letters from home about a certain player named Jeremy Lin. 

Jeremy Lin

Lin in the NBA Summer League of 2010

The first time that I heard about Jeremy Lin was during the 2010-2011 Summer League of the NBA. I received a letter from my friend telling me about an amazing point guard from Harvard that was tearing it up  for the Dallas Mavericks summer ball team. I asked my friend some follow-up questions in a letter and then in my friend's response he said that Lin made it through the Summer League and then was signed by the Golden State Warriors and got to play in a couple of regular season games. Sadly his spark died out a bit and then the team wasn't able to keep him because of salary and roster problems. He was cut shortly thereafter.

Over a year later I receive word that he is back and is doing amazing things for the New York Knicks. After being cut by the Warriors last year he kept trying and was signed by the Houston Rockets at the start of this year. Because of roster issues (again) he was cut from the team. The New York Knicks picked him up and he got limited playing time until some injuries and roster changes happened. Lin was given a chance in a losing game against the Celtics where he proved himself to get some more playing time.

Linsane

Soon after that he started playing even better and he was putting up amazing numbers. It was noticed by all-star teammate, Carmelo Anthony, who asked Coach Mike D'Antoni to give Lin even more minutes and opportunities to play and prove himself. He did and he earned himself a starting spot. Ever since Lin has been playing a significant amount of minutes the Knicks have had a 9-3 record. He also has averaged over 20 points and over 8 assists in his first 10 games as a starter (the first player to do that since the ABA). 

He has only been able to accomplish this because of his hard work, perseverance, determination, and hope for a brighter future. It would have been so easy for him to accept defeat or work only half as hard because of previous failures but because of his diligence and his ability to adapt to difficult circumstances he has pulled off some amazing things. 

When we are struggling with work, school, family, friends, and life in general it can get tiring. Satan wants us to throw our hands up and say, 'I don't care anymore. I give up.' The Lord wants us to put our hands to work, harder than ever before, and recognize what we can do differently or what we can improve. He wants us to say, 'What more can I do to get where I need to be?' The Lord provides us with challenges to see how we handle ourselves. Will we choose to rely on Him and succeed or will we choose to be passive and be defeated?

Jeremy Lin kept trying even when it seemed he could go no further. He was then given another small opportunity with the Knicks and he made the most of it to the point that Carmelo Anthony recognized his talents and talked to the coach and it resulted in being given an even bigger opportunity. Now he is a starting point guard for a high-caliber team in the NBA and they are playing at a level above that they were playing before.

I promise that as we strive in our own lives to adapt to our individual struggles and simply keep working forward we will see miracles. The Lord's hand is in all things and He wants to reward us with blessings. These miracles may be small and they may be big. Sometimes it takes a very long time to see the rewards of our faith and work but the Lord promises us that we will be rewarded. As we strive in Linsane adaptation and push forward "rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12) we will see the rewards of our faith.

Never Give Up

I am a basketball fan. I love the passion, the versatility, the athleticism, etc. I just love the sport. There are many things that can be learned from the game but I would like to focus on one of them. Never give up.

The principle of not giving up can be showed in a variety of ways but I'd like to show just one of them. One of my favorite teams in the NBA is the Portland Trail Blazers. A couple-three years back they were playing in a way intense game against the Houston Rockets. It went down to the wire. Then...well, you'll just have to watch and see what happened. Enjoy!

Wow. Brandon Roy is amazing. But would he have been amazing if he had given up? There was 0.8 seconds left. It would have been really easy to stop trying. To write off the game and say, "Well... they're better than we are. Time to call it quits." Good thing that he didn't. He held on and he worked hard. He curled to get open, he caught the ball square to the hoop, he elevated - game over. All in 0.8 seconds. We need to be like Brandon Roy and never give up.

Dunking on the Lakers. Even better.

Would Brandon Roy have been able to do this by himself? Of course not! He needed the help from his teammates, his coaching staff, and of course the fans. In our own lives we need to lean on the support system that God has given us. We have so much at our disposal! We have prayer, scriptures, church, mormon.org, lds.org, parents, brothers, sisters, friends, music, etc. If we use what we have been given then we will be able to do amazing things like Brandon Roy did against the Rockets.

With trust in God all things are possible. "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me; ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me" (Moroni 7:33). If it is God's will and we show faith and trust in Him then all things are possible. Never give up. God always trusts in us. When we trust in Him, miracles happen.

Mary N. Cook says it perfectly in a talk called "Never, Never, Never Give Up!". She says, "Have you ever been afraid and discouraged as you’ve faced a challenge that seemed far beyond your ability? Have you ever wanted to give up? Imagine how Joshua, the successor to the great prophet Moses, must have felt, knowing that he was to lead the children of Israel to the promised land. At times I’m sure he wanted to give up. But the Lord comforted him by reminding him three times to be strong and courageous (Joshua 1:6-9). With faith that God would be with them, the children of Israel committed, 'All that thou commandest … we will do'"(Joshua 1:16). What great faith and courage!

We may feel alone or overwhelmed. We may feel that we have sinned too much and we are a lost cause. I have felt that way before. It was a dark time in my life. But I am a living witness to the truth of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. He loves us so much. He will never give up on us. We should never give up on ourselves. If we give up on ourselves then we give up on Him. We can receive Forgiveness. We can be confident that the Lord's hand is stretched out still (2 Nephi 15:25).

Never give in. Never give up. Be like Joshua. Be like Brandon Roy. Rely on what God has given you and keep fighting to the wire. We will receive help. We will receive forgiveness. We will receive support. And hey...we may even hit a game winning three against Houston.

Never Give Up.