by Rob Globke

Do you ever wonder if anybody notices you?
Do you doubt whether anyone is even paying attention or cares?
Do you carry the weight of loneliness as you walk through each day?

• Perhaps you wonder if you will ever be seen in a tryout of over 150 skaters. How can the coach possibly watch that many people? You believe deep down you will get lost in the shuffle.
• Perhaps you get discouraged every time you look up in the stands and see mom or dad (or both) fixated on the smart phone and not on your last shift.
• Perhaps feel desserted when dad can’t make a game this year because work is just too busy.
• Perhaps you are scared that you’re on the team, but not part of the team.
• Perhaps you are frustrated you won’t be invited to that tournament where all the scouts will be taking notes and handing out scholarships. How will you ever be noticed?
• Perhaps you are angry because you wish the referee would open his eyes and call some penalties on the guy who has been hacking and whacking you all game.

In all these instances and many more, you may start to wonder, “Does God See Me?”

At various points in our life as hockey players, it proves to be a valid question. After all, we can’t always rely on even those who love us most to really “see” us all the time. There are times in and out of the rink when we wonder, “In a world full of over 6 billion people, how can I feel so alone!” And inevitably, some of life’s most painful emotions come bubbling to the surface. Fear, anger, and sadness come to mind as I write this. Emotions eager to pull us away from the life God has intended us to live. Of course we can’t blame the game of hockey for these feelings. They are a part of being human. Yet, hockey does have a tendency to bring them out. The game doesn’t create these feelings, but it sure does reveal them.

So how do we combat this loneliness? Where can we find hope?

Well, we need to go to something unchangeable, solid, and true. Something that keeps us straight when our emotions try to take us left and right. I firmly believe the place to start in this search is God’s word. The one source we know is reliable and trustworthy to give us hope when we don’t have much else to grasp. A book which reminds all of us of who God is and what He has done for us. A book holding words which tell us that God ALWAYS sees and is ALWAYS present with us.

While there are many passages and verses we can turn to in times of loneliness, there are two I want to highlight today.

Psalm 33:13-15
The Lord looks down from heaven;
   he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
   on all the inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all
   and observes all their deeds.

Psalm 139:7-10
Where shall I go from your Spirit,
   Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
   If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
   and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
   and your right hand shall hold me.

From these verses we find the God who never sleeps nor slumbers. We find the one True God who can be counted on to watch every single game, shift, and shot. A God who notices us. A God who is with us even when everyone else jumps ship. There is no where we can go from His presence. There is nothing He does not see.

• If your coach never sees you, have no fear because God is always watching.
• If your parents don’t always notice you, don’t worry because God observes all your deeds.
• If you don’t have any friends on the team, do not be discouraged because God is present to hold you.
• If you are overlooked by scouts, don’t be angry because God sees every children of man.

Cling to this. You are seen and you are never alone. Go to the rink with confidence and play well, because you know the KING is always watching. Play for Him and Him alone.