God’s Bigger Picture
Have you ever lost something that you love so much? Now, today, I’m not talking about losing loved ones; I’m talking about losing something in your life that you thought you could never live without. For me, it was soccer.
For those of you who don’t know me personally, I grew up playing soccer since I was three years old. It was my life, my love, and truly part of my identity. I didn’t know who I was without this sport, and I never wanted to find out... until I was forced to find out in 2010.
14 years ago, I had back surgery that no 14-year-old should ever have to go through. I was told after herniating my disc so badly that I would never play soccer again. My dreams were crushed. I fought so hard and even told my doctor that I believed in a God of miracles and that I would play soccer again one day.
A few months later, I made the number one team in the state as a freshman, and I couldn’t be happier. Exactly a year later, I developed severe health issues and was forced to quit anyway.
Now, I know you’re thinking this story ends horribly, and quite frankly, 15 years ago, I would’ve agreed with you. I was depressed and truly had an identity crisis because I didn’t know who I was without soccer. But that’s not how my story ends.
I quickly turned to my other love of fishing and began to drown out the loss. I fished every single day to fill my time because without practices, games, and tournaments I had a lot of spare time on my hands. I was extremely frustrated with God because I couldn’t believe that He allowed me to lose soccer. It didn’t make sense in my head because I wondered if He loved me so much why would He let this happen? Little did I know His plan all along.
My love of fishing eventually turned into my love of horses. I got my first horse, Levi, in 2017 and quickly realized how passionate I was about these creatures. It was no longer about soccer and fishing.
My dad always says hindsight is 20/20, and this couldn’t be more accurate for me. Looking back, if I never lost soccer, I would have never found my love for horses. I also wouldn’t have found my husband. When I watch women’s soccer on TV, my husband often reminds me how glad he is that I didn’t play professional soccer because we wouldn’t be together. (I usually joke back with some smart aleck response about still wanting to play professional soccer.)
Now, God amazes me. Even though I am still undergoing health issues, He has allowed me to play soccer for fun. It may not be at the level I was dreaming of as a little girl, but He has made a way for me to keep the love of soccer in my life forever.
One thing I love is that Levi (my horse) loves soccer too! Talk about God’s sense of humor. He has a big green ball that he loves to kick and pass with me. It fills my heart up knowing that God has connected two passions together.
I share this story with you because you may be going through something similar right now, or you may have gone through something similar in your past. I want to be the voice that reminds you that just because you feel like you have lost something you love, it doesn’t mean it’s lost forever. God has blessed me beyond anything I could imagine and has made a way to keep my love of soccer in my life. It may look different now but remember that God always has a bigger picture in mind.
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” -Jeremiah 29:11
Journal Prompt:
Do you wonder why God allowed something you love to be removed from your life, even if it was only temporary? Write down a prayer to God and thank Him for His plans for your life.
Ref: Romans 8:28, Proverbs 16:9
