It’s been a tough year in sports with all these injuries.
It was tough to watch Houston Texans’ J.J. Watt go down with a season-ending injury. It was even tougher to watch Boston Celtics’ Gordon Hayward go down with his season-ending injury. Setbacks are tough. During these times it may seem that all the hard work that was put in up until that point was useless. Thoughts like that can lead to depression and can often lead the injured person to think that they are all alone.
That’s why I love the response that fans gave J.J. Watt, and the outpouring love that fans gave to Gordon Hayward after his injury was heartwarming. It only helps solidify the bond that all athletes have. Although they all compete against each other on a daily basis, at the end of the day, they are all part of a larger group; athletes. Because of that, when one athlete gets a devastating injury, the rest of the community feels it as if it happened to them.
In 1 Corinthians 12:26 – the verse tells us that “If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.” The good thing about injuries is that they heal. All it takes is time. And during that time, we can continue to encourage those around us who are hurting – on and off the field. So if you see someone that could use a little bit of encouragement, be generous and give it to them. The effect that it has on people works in ways that we may never know.
Below is Gordon Hayward’s response to everyone that reached out to him:
