L.I.F.E

It's that time of the year where floorball is back in full force. The Penang Floorball League will kick start in about 2 weeks time and seems like everyone is pretty pumped up for it. 

Just last night, I had a short yet a re-affirming conversation with one of my players after training. We were clearing up the rink boards after training, then I caught myself saying to one of my players (out of jest of course) "Sometimes I wonder why we subject ourselves to all this trouble and effort of time, money and sweat..." we laughed about it and joked about how we're not getting paid for all these effort and time but yet we still choose to slog it through. 

Why?

I've had had numerous second thoughts about floorball. The thought of quitting no doubt has haunted me before (and still haunts me every now and then). I guess the question (and the answer) that stands in between quitting and keep on "slogging" through is why am I subjecting myself to this sport.

Rewind to a few days back, I had a meeting with some of my core leaders. The first question posted to everyone which we all needed to answer is pretty much summed up as the above - why are we getting ourselves so involved in floorball. Why do we choose to spend our time and possibly money for a passion that seemingly reaps 0% return of investment? A good question to ponder on especially at the start of a new year.

For me personally, I'd sum it up in the acronym L.I.F.E... I want to be:

I've always been passionate about sports and I love my group of players. I see so much potential in them both as a player and a person. The more I coach the more I realized that in order for a player to continuously be passionate about the sport and to grow in it, it is CRUCIAL that we start sharing LIFE with them. Christ is the greatest example of one who decided to come and generously and genuinely share life with us in the form of man, assimilating into our finite human world just to get personal with us.  

But what exactly do I mean by sharing LIFE?

Meaning to go beyond the spectrum of just talking about sports. To intentionally create life-changing and for me personally, God-seeking moments where not just superficial friendships are fostered, but trust and genuine care for one another is built. 

The world we have today is broken in so many ways. I'm not being self-righteous here. I am broken too and I'm not here to profess that I can fix all the brokenness in the world. We all desperately need God in our lives. However, I do profess that sports in general - for me at this point would be specifically floorball - can help people deal, face, overcome, be strengthened and be more courageous in handling life's challenges when we merge the competitiveness of sport and its power to be shape lives and use it to impact players. 

In just about a week plus or so, the league will begin. Another exciting season of seeing players and clubs challenging one another for the title. Much time will be spent on the league for many of us. Meanwhile this week, a group of us will be initiating Life Groups with some of our players with the hope of getting to know them at a more personal level, to spend time encouraging and praying for one another. That would also mean more time is taken up. Then the question of why do we spend so much time on floorball will pop up again eventually and when it does, I want this post to be a reminder to me and others likewise that we do what we do because we simply love the sport, the people and the King. 

1 Peter 2:9, one of my favourite verses says; 

"You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."

Let this be a reminder. 

We are Chosen. 

We are His possession.

We are to declare and to share.