The God of Jacob
“This portrait speaks volumes because it shows my life in full circle.” When Jacob Barbour, founder of Crossover 4 Christ first moved to Waterbury, Connecticut as a teenager it was where he first played basketball at Riviera-Hughes Park on West Dover Street (formerly West Dover Street Playground) is an area called South Main.
South Main is the closest thing to Puerto Rico. Jacob’s bond to South Main is strong because it reminds him of where he’s from. Seeing the peoples’ bondages of pain and poverty in a place of need brought Jacob to a group of people who have become life long friends. Christian, otherwise known as Beans was one of the main people who accepted his friendship. They didn’t care where he was from. Jacob felt like he was apart of something. He chuckled, “The main reason being tall and able to dunk.” Playing basketball with Beans and others kept Jacob off the streets more than if he wasn’t on the basketball court. Jacob with the physique of a Flex Magazine body builder had a thug mentality. Proving himself to be rough got himself into trouble doing for doing things he should not have: excessive alcohol consumption, partying and knockin’ down multiple female partners. However, sports reduced the chances of getting charged with serious penalties. Caught in hidden snares and struggles to find his identity was a beautiful proving ground to find the God of Jacob.
At the time, Jacob had no idea it would be something God would use to prepare him for what he is doing today. God used these saturating rain drops to show Jacob how going through a storm will get you uncomfortable and wet. The other side was reached when he surrendered to Jesus who has power over everything. The other side is greatness. The other side is across the train tracks. The other side is eternity.
Jacob is looking at the basketball with a vision in mind. He is thinking about using whatever is in your hands for God’s glory. Whichever talent you have whether it is big or small using it to glorify God. Jacob holds a rain soaked basketball. You can use anything to grow the kingdom. Through it all, even when the rain hits through the bad times here he is standing today with a wife and two daughters plus a thriving basketball ministry.
While seated at the bench, a providential epiphany struck Jacob, “I never pictured myself doing anything ministry wise, being saved in general, or anything like it. God had different plans. He took me right back to the same spot that my father, Connecticut State Trooper Barbour was doing work for the Lord thirty years prior. It’s awesome to see the Lord was not finished with the work he wanted to do there with my family. He’s used me to continue to reach out to that specific community. For what reason? I don’t know, but God knows that reason.”
In the book of Genesis, Jacob while in the REM stage of sleep, snored with his head molded to a stone. While experiencing a divine dream he heard the Lord say, “I am with you and will watch over you where ever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I promised you.” The God of Jacob is mentioned in the Old Testament at least fifteen times. Although Jacob’s veins flowed with treachery, tendencies of trickery and great transgressions it did not deter God’s active promise for both his life and his descendants. God’s dealings with Jacob were carefully intimate. Redeeming love still reached the farthest man by the overseeing Redeemer of our pilgrim lives. The story found in the twenty-eight chapter of Genesis gives the rest of us living hope for our own desperate challenges.