Sometimes we find ourselves in the presence of giants.

They may not look like what we’d expect. They may be diminutive in nature. They may even be incredibly young. But these giants? The size of their hearts and the strength of their passions make them giants, nonetheless.

My son Cole, while incredibly small in stature, was a giant of epic proportions. He’s been deceased 11 years now and I miss him so very much.

But when he walked this earth, or used his walker, wheelchair or mobility scooter, he truly stood tall. His mental and physical disabilities notwithstanding, he loved God, people, sports, and fought against his infirmities with all his considerable strength.

Better yet, while his Cerebral Palsy prevented him from speaking clearly, his voice was most often the loudest when singing at church. He was determined to not just live, but thrive. There was no quit in him.

He had a determination we could all wish for. More about him in a moment.

In the meantime, taking a somewhat casual look around our community reveals a great number of children and young people who are involved in youth sports. Whether schools or rec leagues, watching these kids swing a bat, sink a three-pointer, catch a pass, or like our family, split the uprights with an extra point, you’ll find loads of passion, drive, and commitment.

Fierce competitors, many of these young people will go on to do great things in their lives and in the process make our community proud.

However, there is a world of difference in the abilities of my now-deceased son and most who grace our different fields of play. But that difference is not in their determination and competitive grit.

The drive and determination our young community athletes display is a quality my dad refers to as “sticktoitiveness,” which simply means dogged persistence.

And like I said at the beginning, we are often in the presence of giants—even the ones we least expect– even the ones small in stature yet blessed with a giant’s heart.

Keep your eyes open to the probability of giants all around us. Keep your heart and mind open to what we might yet learn from them.

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the LORD sees, for humans see what is visible, but the LORD sees the heart.”” (1 Samuel 16:7 CSB17)

Les Ferguson, Jr., is pastor of Oxford Church of Christ. Write to him at lfergusonjr@gmail.com