Kay McDaniel serving in pro New Jersey Tourney

"Serve Him Up!"

I was so excited! I had just won an event on the Women's Professional Tour - a commodity difficult to come by with the likes of Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and Chris Evert dominating the game! 

The Event:  "The World's Fastest Serve in Women's Tennis"

The Prize:    The Concord Award

The Place:   The Lipton Championships

The Stage:   Stadium Court

Police officers armed with radar guns measured the speed of each of the competitors serve.  Players lined up to see who "had it" - resembling the NBA Slam Dunk contest where players from all over the league come together to see who can stuff a perfectly timed shot on demand.

My fastest serve that day in 1996 was 105 mph - the fastest in the event. British Airways gave me a sleek model of the Concord with a round trip ticket to fly anywhere in the world. What fun it was that day to serve my best.

I retired from the sport a few months later, walking away from tennis  satisfied.  I had given my heart to Jesus Christ and was ready to begin a different kind of service - on The King's Court. 

Serving was my strength as a professional player player. I simply mustered all my power into a serve, sprinted to the net, scrambled to hit a few volleys and was done with it - next point.  Better yet, were the rare moments when I served and no return came back - Aced it!

Now, my pleasure in life is to serve God.  What a privilege!  I desire to step up to the line (see an individual in need), smack the ball (meet the need), and serve the next point (meet another need). 

Christ came to earth to serve not to be served.  It's my turn to serve the kingdom of God.  As Christians, it doesn't get any better than serving God! The eternal award goes to the ones who faithfully, quietly, joyfully, humbly serve Christ to his world. Serving is not a single event - it takes all of us to proclaim the wonders of God. 

So, what are we waiting for?  Time is short!  Let's go serve Him up!