This story appears in FCA Magazine’s September/October 2016 issue. Subscribe today!
Hometown:
Frisco, Texas
Class:
Senior
Position:
Defender
Note:
• Heartland Conference President’s Honor Roll
(2013, 2014)
“Therefore we do not lose heart, but though our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day.” – 2 Corinthians 4:16 (NASB)
Seth Elliott’s world was rocked during his freshman year at Dallas Baptist University. The Frisco, Texas, native was coming off a successful start to his soccer career when he was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. After a grueling eight months that broke him down and pieced him back together, Elliott is now cancer-free, and his senior soccer season will be complimented by his role as president of the school’s FCA Huddle.
FCA: How did your cancer journey change you?
SE: Obviously, my life was turned upside down. The toughest part was that everything had to be stopped—soccer, school, living in the dorms. There was a lot of alone time, which was extremely difficult for me in my faith. I remember thinking, “What did I do to deserve this?”
There’s a lot of emotional fallout from going through a traumatic experience that you don’t necessarily feel until it’s over. There are some good days and bad days, but at the end of the day I always know God has put me through these circumstances for a purpose. He has called me to be different, to ultimately use it for His glory, His purposes and His good.
FCA: Was there a specific moment during the journey that stands out to you?
SE: Three or four weeks after I finished chemo, a good friend and I were talking one night. He’s not a believer, and he asked how everything I’d gone through had affected my faith. It was in that moment I realized that if I didn’t go through all that suffering,
I wouldn’t have the opportunity to sit down and share my faith with someone I care about. It was pretty incredible, realizing God had a purpose. It wasn’t for nothing. I would go through it all over again just to have another opportunity like that!
FCA: What do you take away from the experience?
SE: Everything in life, including soccer, takes on new meaning. Before, I was playing to glorify and honor myself and achieve as much as I could. Now it’s about pointing people to Jesus. He has restored me, given me back my health and given me the energy and ability to play soccer again. Every time I step on that field, for practice or a game, I know He’s the one who has blessed me with that. It’s so much more evident to me that He’s the reason why I still get to do what I do, so every part of it should be for Him.
FCA: How has your life paralleled with your faith?
SE: I had just finished my last cancer treatment. As I exited the elevator and turned the corner, my entire family was standing there in the lobby with a sign that said, “You made it.” Just three words. Seeing them there mirrored what God’s plan is for us. There are things in life that are terrible and tough. There’s no way around it. But there’s going to be one day—after all the hurting and brokenness and pain—where we’re going to step off the elevator and turn the corner, and this time it’s going to be Jesus holding a sign that says, “You made it.”
FCA: How do you see your journey with God right now?
SE: I’m by no means perfect. I make mistakes on a daily basis, and sometimes I feel even worse about it because I’ve seen God work in so many ways other people haven’t. You still have to wake up and dedicate yourself each day, regardless of what’s happened in the past. Even if I do fall short of what I personally want to do, I know there are other people around who see what I went through and point to God and say, “Wow, he’s not going to give up because of what God’s done in his life.” As long as I give 100-percent effort, I’ll be good with it.
FCA Staff Quote:
“Seth has demonstrated incredible commitment to use his skillset as a student-athlete to keep the gospel in front of teammates and classmates. His actions on and off the pitch are a clear and concise marker of his thirst to grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ through the platform of athletics.”
-Michael Santiago
North Dallas FCA Area Director
Read more on Seth's story here!
-FCA-
Photos courtesy of DBU Athletic Department