Joseph has cancer and his make-a-wish request was to spend time with Michael Jordan.
And so he found himself in a room, sitting across from his hero.
He was nervous at first, stammering as he tried to answer questions Jordan asked him. Jordan reassured Joseph by saying, "It's just us, pal. Nothing to be nervous about."
"Do you have anything you want to ask me?" Jordan said.
Joseph responded by reaching into his backpack and pulling out a list of 10 questions he had prepared.
His first question was, "What does it take to be the best?" Jordan responded by saying, "You have to have a passion for something to be great at it, so try everything until you find that thing you’re passionate about. When you find it, you can be great at it.”
Two more questions. "Who is your favorite player?" and "Who would you not want to play against?" Jordan responded by saying "Scottie Pippen" and "I would want to play against anyone."
Other questions included winning the slam dunk contest and the movie Space Jam.
Joseph's last question for Michael was about the “flu game” from the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz and what drove Michael to continue playing even though he was ill. Michael explained how important it is to push through obstacles even if you don’t feel up to the challenge.
Not only did Joseph learn from Jordan that day, but Jordan also learned a lesson from the 12-year-old about persistence and not giving up. You see, Joseph had waited a year and a half to meet Jordan.
Make-a-wish foundation had asked several times if he wanted to meet other, more readily available stars instead, but he refused. Joseph only wanted to meet his hero. And his persistence and resilience paid off.
What dream has God placed in your heart?
What goal are you reaching for?
What do you want to see become a reality?
Be like a 12-year-old boy who wouldn't give up. Your persistence will pay off.
