The TP Game

We love sports at our house. And I am a sucker for tradition. This weekend we got to experience both at the famous TP game at John Brown University.

A little history: this has been a tradition at JBU for 33 years. It happens at the first home basketball game of the season. When JBU scores its first basket, the crowd goes wild–and throws rolls of toilet paper onto the court! Of course, it earns then a technical foul, but the celebration is well worth it. (And it doesn’t affect the outcome of the game, as JBU has lost its home opener only 1 time in the past 33 years!)

This is our son’s third year as a student assistant on the basketball team at JBU. He assists in practice, he sits on the bench with the players. He watches and learns so he can be a better coach himself one day. So we figured our time was winding down to get to experience this bit of sports tradition for ourselves.

I have to say, it did live up to the hype. A packed out gym. Students with crazy body paint. Everyone–even the 80 year old couples siting in front of us!–throwing toilet paper when that first JBU shot, a three-pointer, no less, swooshed into the net. But even more, it was such a joy to watch our child settled into a place. Meet his friends. Hear those in authority over him sing his praises. I left for home again with my heart full and happy. I have no idea what his path will hold a year and a half from now, after graduation, but I love that I can see the Lord’s gentle hand right where he is now. What an incredible blessing that is! Makes me want to throw a few more TP streamers in celebration.