One of my favorite things about soccer is how the art and the passion of the game somehow unites people and nations and classes and races. That's something that comes out of the game and how it's displayed and why people enjoy watching it and supporting it.
Everybody wants to be winners - you have to trust that God has a greater plan for this even when you can't see it.
Your teammates see you through the good and the bad. They see where your foundation lies.
It's really neat when you become a role model. It's also a lot of responsibility. But if you see it as a platform where you can pour into others for Jesus with love, that's where I want to be. Becoming known or noticed in my sport isn't what drives me to work hard and want to be the best I can be. It's Jesus. That's why I play. I play to glorify Him. I worship Him with the gifts I've been given.
Obviously in the world of sports, you go through different ups and downs than in normal life. You might be on top of the world playing or you're sidelined with an injury.
Whenever you're working towards something greater than yourself, it's almost a selflessness that the Lord delights in when you're serving your teammate or your friend or your sister in Christ.
I can't even imagine going through life without my relationship with Jesus. So much of it is me relying on Him and me needing Him, not just in those crazy circumstances but in the day-to-day activities.
My platform might be a little bigger than someone else's, but everyone has a purpose. For me, that purpose in my life right now is soccer. There's a cool, personal testimony that goes along with it.
I'm extremely blessed with my teammates. They're such an encouragement in my life. I have people praying for me and I'm praying for them as well.
Even with my non-believing teammates, there is a great amount of unity and I truly believe that's God working. It's really cool in team sports when you're united around a belief or something you want to accomplish.
Like anyone who has a relationship with Jesus knows, the coolest thing about it is that it's infinite how much you can learn and begin to understand. It's something that grabbed me.
