Celebrating the Journey

Last Saturday was senior day, and we have a very special tradition at Calvin where we gather after the meet is over with the team and parents to eat good food and have a chance to honor our seniors with stories, and "thank you's" in a public setting.  It always means more when you share things in a public setting.  This is one of my favorite traditions of the year.

I started out by saying something about all 11 seniors, and when I looked down at my list I couldn't help but notice how many things a senior overcomes as they go through 4 years as a student athlete.  Here are some interesting facts about our senior class:

1.  At least 4 will admit to wanting quit after their freshmen year
2.  All of them had a bad meet at some point.
3.  At least half had injuries or illnesses out of their control that   altered training at least once.
4.  Three or four changed majors.
5.  All of them turned down other opportunities (trips, travel) because of their commitment to the team.



This is not what we tell recruits, right?  Here are some more statistics that make it all worth it.


1.  All of them are better equipped for the "Real World."
2.  All of them understand how to be multidimensional, and find balance in their lives.
3.  All of them have a plan going forward, jobs, grad school, weddings, etc...
4.  All of them swam faster over their career.
5.  All of them understand how to gave back to the team.

Make sure you honor your seniors and celebrate the journey because that is what they will remember. In today's world there are so many things competing for their attention.  Commitment is a lost art.  Seniors learn how to get through difficult situations, they learn how to adjust, they learn how to be a leader, they learn how to give back to the team, and they get to see the finished product. 

It is a valuable, life shaping experience.


And, you’ll know you are on the right road when your life looks more and more like Jesus in attitude and action, because He is “the radiance of God’s glory” (Hebrews 1:3). You’ll know that you’re getting up to speed with Him when you see all your relationships and encounters as opportunities to make the qualities and characteristics of our glorious God clearly seen and experienced.

Read the rest of the devotional at rbc.org.

By: Chris. This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 29th, 2010 at 11:03 am and is filed under Devotional, Jesus, Spiritual Discipline. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.