"Give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Today you put on your black shirts and headed to Athens for the UGA & Alabama football game.  Unfortunately I will not be able to play in this game.  I have been battling a neck injury since the Georgia Southern game.  At first, we thought it was a stinger.  Then I was told that it might be a injury that could keep me from ever playing football again.  It has been a scary couple of weeks with me and I have really missed being out there with my teammates.  Recently the doctors and trainers have cleared me to play again and I am very grateful to the Lord for that opportunity.  I hope to be back again in time to play against the Vols in two weeks.  So today I will be watching the game like you and pulling for the Dawgs.

My battle with this neck injury has really challenged and stretched my faith.  I have been a Christian for a number of years but through this trial and others in my life the Lord has grown me closer to Him.  I also believe that He has made more like His son Jesus Christ, who completely understands suffering.  He went through extreme pain and suffering and died on the cross for the sins of the world.  He also experienced ultimate victory!  Jesus rose again and He lives forever.  Whether I ever play another game for the Georgia Bulldogs, I am victorious because I have Jesus in my life and I will ultimately get to spend eternity in Heaven with Him.  Do you have that same victory?  I hope and pray that you will consider a relationship with Christ.

There have been many other experiences in my life that have shaped who I am today.  This summer I had wonderful opportunity to travel with my teammates, Coach Richt and our Team United staff to Honduras on a mission trip.  Here are some thoughts from my journal entry during that trip. 

Coming to the airport from Mother’s Day, I got no sleep before I arrived at the airport at 4:45 a.m. I had a unique experience at the airport because my carry-on luggage had a bunch of aerosol cans of bug repellent, sunscreen, and other things that weren’t allowed through security. Then I had to take it back to get checked with a lot of other player’s stuff that didn’t get through as well.

The plane ride down was pretty normal but we hit some real turbulence coming into Tegucigalpa that almost made my stomach come out of my mouth. As I got going on the bus, I first noticed the heat! In the capital it was interesting to see Church’s Chicken, McDonald's and things like that. As we got out into the country, I noticed how different the homes were, how bad the roads were, and the poverty.

Things are really nice here at Hospital Bautista. I didn’t know what the conditions were going to be like but it is really nice. We should be able to eat well here, sleep well here, and do some good service. In the evening, we as a team went over Romans Road, which set the tone for us for the week. We talked about what it really means to be a Christian and to have a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ as opposed to just being religious.

I just want to come closer in my relationship with Jesus and hopefully impact someone’s life here. I really want to bring that back to the states and impact others on our team. I think that anyone thinking about going should because it is a great opportunity to give back and serve the Lord.  We will also have the opportunity to play soccer and share the good news with others.  I think we are going to be doing work projects around here as well.  So I'm thankful for the blessings we have and the chance we have to give to others here in Honduras.

 
Learn more about a relationship with Christ and how to live in Christ.