How should a Christian live? If you ask a dozen people, I suppose you may end up with a dozen or more definitions. You may hear something like: “it’s important to attend church regularly, pray daily, tithe, and read the Bible.” I’ve spent most of my life striving to do those things and more. At times, I think I’ve done a fairly good job. Other times, not so much. I think, during certain periods of my life, I drifted to my own brand of Christianity, i.e. I set rules that worked for me. Although I look back with regrets, I take comfort in the fact I never stopped believing. As I contemplate my life back then, I can state with certainty that something was missing. I just didn’t know what it was.

We adopted a boy, named Cristian, about seven years ago. He is now in first grade and, every day, I meet him at his bus stop. One day, he got off the bus and I immediately knew something was wrong. He didn’t have the usual bounce in his step and I noticed giant tear balls flowing from his eyes. Through the sobs, he mentioned something about a package lost in the snow. It turned out it was a gift from his teacher. His friends, who received their packages previously, told him it included a scarf, a packet of hot chocolate and a candy cane.

What to do? Since he thought it was in the snow, we drove back to his school and searched. We didn’t find it outside so we went in and asked. Someone went to check, retrieved the package, and gave it to him. I think that moment will stay with me forever. The look on that child’s face would have warmed the hardest heart. All I could think to say was, “it was lost but now it’s found.” All the anxiety melted away and he just seemed to have this incredible peace and joy. Though emotions are enormous in children his age, this was a special moment. Imagine what it would be like if you found this peace, this vibrant and radiant glow, in other people when you talked to them!

One winter day in 2017 I emerged from my cave and announced to my wife I should write two books! Looking back, I’m not sure where the idea came from. I didn’t hear an audible voice or come away with the feeling it was divine inspiration. Eventually, it became clear to me that I was seeking and the Lord answered. Even though I was ill prepared for this undertaking, I now feel He put this idea on my heart.

I’ve always been a huge football fan and NFL history buff. My research led me to the idea of two different books, one about untold stories I’d discovered and the other about faith and football. I set out to take on both ideas simultaneously but that was a bit overwhelming. The second idea, about faith and football, gradually became my passion and began to change my life.

I knew it was necessary to interview many former players to create something people may want to read. Let me tell you, contacting strangers out of the blue, especially former professional athletes, is an endeavor that is laden with difficulty and stress. I started out writing letters but that bore little fruit. I switched to cold calls which were stressful and emails when possible. It reminded me of fishing. You really don’t know what for you’re in for on any given day. You may have a few strikes, catch a few, or get completely skunked. I was able to land a few keepers, however. A handful of former players were very welcoming and willing to offer their help. The prize catch, which I didn’t realize at the time, would become much more than a simple interview.

I happened to come across an online interview with Anthony Bass. I remembered Anthony as a player with the Vikings, but didn’t realize he’d become a pastor. He is the pastor of Endurance Church in Brooklyn Park, MN. I reached out to him and not only did he return my emails but he invited me to join his Bible Study! This is where the real journey began and I’m not talking about writing.

I quickly realized that this Bible study group, made up of former athletes, local businessmen, and others, would become something very significant in my life. Through the study, I developed a desire to read and study the scripture daily. It reminds me of my marathon running experience. Most marathon runners dream of qualifying for Boston. I didn’t think I had a chance but I loved marathon running. I came up with a crazy training plan where I would run a marathon every other week. As you can imagine, my body eventually wore out but not before my times continued to improve and I qualified for Boston! Similarly, becoming part of this Bible study produced spiritual growth I wasn’t anticipating. This group was different than others I have tried. There is life in these guys! Just like the pure joy when my son found the package he lost, the men exude that same type of radiance. As the King James puts it in Psalm 34:4, “They looked unto Him and were lightened.”

Whatever happens with this writing venture, I have been blessed through the process. This past year God has opened doors and brought some amazing people into my life. Is writing a spiritual gift for me? That remains to be seen but I know God has something in store for me. Although I didn’t realize it at the time, I found a gift in this group. It has helped equip me for God’s plan, whatever that is. Like my friend from the study says, “stay tuned …..”