Over the years, I’ve talked with a number of my former NFL players, and many of them have shared what they missed about their own athletic seasons. Interestingly enough, it wasn’t the games they missed, and it certainly wasn’t training camp! It was the relationships. They missed the camaraderie they shared with their teammates.

I’ve used the word “relationships” often in the last few years. They are a priority in FCA. But the longer I live, the more I notice how a growing number of folks are getting stuck in life’s ruts and routines and foregoing relationships.

The Steckel family’s theme for the year is “Priorities.” My wife, Chris, and I, along with our three children and their spouses, all share faith as our top priority. We all want to draw closer to Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with Him.

Just below faith on our list is family. And what is family? It’s people—those we love (or should love) whom God has placed in our lives. It’s important that we prioritize and invest in them as the blessings that they are.

Recently, Chris and I received an alarming midnight phone call. Her mother, whom we affectionately call Mimi, was in the hospital and about to undergo emergency surgery to remove a blood clot near her heart.
 

“...with ‘next season’ upon us, we need to get serious about our priorities.”

I don’t know what goes through your mind when things like that happen, but the first thing Chris and I realized was that we had no control over the situation. What we did have, however, was the power of prayer. And, thankfully, ours were answered that night, and Mimi was cleared of danger just hours later.

The very next day, though, we received another call of the same nature. The son of two of our dearest friends had been admitted to the hospital with a 103.5-degree temperature and a blood infection. This powerful young man is an NFL athlete, and his dad is a Pro Football Hall of Famer; but as strong as they are, neither of them had any control in that situation either. Thankfully, as Christians, they knew they could turn to the Lord.

In James 4:14, the Bible gives us a reality check regarding the brevity of our lives. It says, “You don’t even know what tomorrow will bring—what your life will be! For you are a bit of smoke that appears for a little while, then vanishes.”

Whether we’re young or old, each day of our lives is a gift, and we need to ask ourselves if we are living in light of the fact that we only have a short amount of time here on earth. If so, how are we spending that time? Are we wasting it on things that don’t matter, or are we investing in the lives of others and making a true difference with the love of Christ?

Listen, folks, with “next season” upon us, we need to get serious about our priorities. We have a chance right now, before school and sports get underway, to really examine what’s important and to change our lives accordingly. Will we place all the value on trophies and championships, or will we cherish the memories made along the way? Will we focus on the temporary awards of sports or on the people with whom we laugh, cry and compete? I tell you one thing. Only one of those options will last beyond the end of the season. Choose wisely.

Model the Master,

Les Steckel
FCA President/CEO