At 18 years old, I signed my first professional contract for West Ham in the English Premier League. It was everything I’d hoped for, the culmination of years of hard work, and an answered prayer. But mixed with the feelings of excitement and gratitude was the weight of expectation and an immense pressure to make the first team.
For a few weeks, the pressure I put on myself left me vulnerable, and I wasn’t enjoying football the way I had before. What I know now is that God was using that vulnerability to draw me back to Himself.
I had grown up in a Christian family, prayed before school, and recited Psalm 23. But, as a teenager, I drifted away from the Lord. When I talked to my mom about my feelings, she brought me back to church and told me I should get to know Jesus.
It didn’t happen all at once. I showed up to church with a conviction I was in the right place. Although I didn't know how to worship, didn't understand what was being taught, and didn't have answers during Bible study, I kept showing up. The more I did, the more I felt the presence of God, and the more I wanted to follow Jesus.
On Easter Sunday in 2019, I was baptized to show my public profession of faith. When I came up out of the water, everything was different. That’s when my journey of transformation really began. I would’ve loved it to happen all at once, but my walk with Jesus has been more about trust and a slow breaking of barriers than immediate change.
My first real test of faith came from a hamstring problem that was supposed to take a few weeks to heal but took six-months instead. My expectations after signing my first pro deal didn’t play out the way I had hoped. All of my worries about injuries and expectations were met head-on by God asking me to trust Him and what He was doing in my life. Even when things weren’t making sense, I stayed faithful in my walk, trusting God with what I couldn’t see. In His timing, He opened doors for me to step into opportunities I hadn’t imagined.
This has been my testimony: I’ve experienced success, I’ve experienced failure, and through it all, God has relentlessly pursued me. He has stood by me in the low places and humbled me before Him. I learned that in humility, He knew best how my football future would work out. He is more interested in me and my relationship with Him than football.
I am honored to play football for a living, but the highest honor in my life is that I’m chosen for more. It is my hope and prayer that as you read my story over the next few days, God stirs your heart to step out of your comfort zone, to run to the arms of the Father, and to see the evidence of His faithfulness over your life!
Challenge
Have you accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior?
If you haven't, what is holding you back?
If you have, take a moment to thank God for the ways He has drawn you back to Him.
Who We Are
If you’re wondering what it looks like to live free from pressure, secure in your identity, and truly chosen for more through a relationship with Jesus, we at Athletes in Action would love to help you take that next step. Click here to begin your journey of discovering who Jesus is and how you can have a relationship with Him.
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