Matthew 25:29 talks about the gifts and opportunities God has given us. My gift
is hockey. I believe God has called me to play hockey, so I go as hard as I can to
honor Him and the gift that He has blessed me with. My faith means that everything
goes through God and that I try (and often fail) to find my identity in Christ. When my
identity is in Him, my life has purpose and I can cast my fears on Him. He allows me
to have less anxiety about how a game or year will go. When I rely on Him, He will
always be with me and pull me from the raging storms—just like He did for Peter.
Following Jesus has also humbled me. I see how awesome He is and how small
I am, and yet He loves me! Matthew 14:31 reminds me that nothing is impossible
with God. When the storms rage, if I keep my faith in Jesus and my eyes on Him, He
will always be there for me—and He’ll be there for you.
My faith has been tested so many times. Two years ago I had a concussion and
when I came back I couldn’t stop a puck for the life of me. I really struggled with
how to do life when I was constantly under-performing. But then, I went back to
those words, “You of little faith, why did you doubt me?” -meaning “just trust me,
and have faith!” My renewed faith in God and in the support group that He has built
up around me (most importantly in my wife), helped get me through this time.
To those who are struggling with the pressures and uncertainties of the game or
who are going through difficult times in their personal lives, I’d say- “don’t lose faith
or confidence in yourself or in God. All of us are messed up in some way, and we
need a Savior. Ask Jesus into your life and trust in Him.-”