2013-2014 NCCAA Theme:
Faith
June Devotional
Pela Fé
By: Allie Johns,
NCCAA Media and Communications Coordinator
If you are familiar with Portuguese you know that Pela Fé translates to ‘By Faith’ in English. This was the
theme of a summer I spent as a Chicago Eagle while I was in college. A branch of Missionary Athletes
International, the Chicago Eagles are a sports ministry team/academy for collegiate soccer players.
I went into the summer with the mind frame of excitement to be playing soccer for 10 weeks, to be taking
a trip to Brazil, not to have a summer job, and the ministry aspect wasn’t bad either (probably in that
order). I was also coming into the summer after starting every game and being the leading goal scorer as
a freshman. I say all of this to set the stage for what would take place in my heart and faith journey that
summer.
Upon arriving in Wheaton, IL, I quickly learned that the focus of the team wasn’t on improving my soccer
skills, but on learning to use soccer as a platform to share God’s love. We had many training sessions
(not the kind I had hoped for at first) on sports ministry as we were leaving for Brazil soon after the
academy started. They knew we could play soccer, but they wanted to teach us how to use our talents as
soccer players to share the Good News.
After our tour in Brazil, we arrived back in the Chicago area and ran soccer camps for 5-14 year olds in a
different city every week. We often had team devotions before we trained and this day’s topic was pride.
My initial reaction to the topic was one of apathy, thinking that ‘yes, I know everyone has pride.’ But as I
began to listen and later that evening reflect on the topic I was very convicted about my pride. I realized
that I was actually a prisoner to my pride. In high school and my first year in college, I was secretly always
checking the stats of my team and in the leagues I was in to make sure I was at the top of every category.
I was very hard on myself as a player, which came off as anger towards my teammates. I began to see
how soccer and being a soccer player was my identity.
I read in the Bible how God hates pride, and I didn’t want anything in me that God hated. I began to write
out a prayer to God confessing my deeply rooted pride in every area of my life, not only soccer. I asked
Him to begin the process of removing the pride in my life; a process that I knew was a life-long one. I
went to end the prayer with a sentence then I paused because what I was about to write was dangerous,
although I didn’t know it at the time, then continued with ‘Whatever it takes.’
The next day we had a game in the evening against some local girls our age. During one play I went up to
win the ball off a header and when I landed heard and felt a loud pop in my right knee. As I hit the ground,
holding my knee in pain I said repeatedly out loud “No God…not this…not soccer.”
I got an MRI the next day and on the drive back to my team the doctor called with the results (not a good
sign). I distinctly remember the song “Lead Me To The Cross” playing on the radio as the doctor told me
that I had torn my ACL and needed surgery. The news crushed me. As I hobbled, on crutches, into the
soup kitchen where my team was serving dinner the tears streaming down my face told them all the bad
news. I began to call my college coach and teammates to tell them that I would not be able to play in the
fall.
Before I realized what I had prayed to God just the night before my injury happened I was angry with God
and questioned Him. Then I read back on the prayer I had written and when I got to the words ‘Whatever
it takes’ I realized that I asked for this. Did God do this to me? No, I don’t think that’s how He works. But
did He gently prepare the way for me to be in the environment that I was in, and prepare my heart in the
perfect way? Yes, I think so. A physical injury was the only way that I was going to be completely
humbled. He had to literally take soccer away from me for a brief time to begin the process of stripping my
pride away, so that I could one day truly play for Him, and not just say that I was.
I had such complete faith in myself, in my skills, in my reputation, in my appearance and image that there
was no room to live ‘By Faith’ in God. God used something that I now consider as the ‘best worst’ thing
that happened to me as a young college player. I realize that I completely needed it and the timing was
perfect, God’s perfect timing.
‘By Faith’ is found repeatedly in Hebrews 11:
4 By
faith Abel brought God a better offering than Cain did. By faith he was commended as
righteous, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is
dead.
5 By
faith Enoch was taken from this life, so that he did not experience death: “He could not be
found, because God had taken him away.”For before he was taken, he was commended as one
who pleased God. 6 And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes
to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
7 By
faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his
family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in
keeping with faith…
As we wrap up the 2013-14 NCCAA Theme of Faith, how would your Hebrews 11 Faith sentence read?