#Kids bible study sports related series

When I went to Rice I had grand expectations of what college life would be like. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he pulled his cloak over his face and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.” – 1 Kings 19:11-13 After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. “The Lord said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. I hope these insights can be a point of reassurance and hope as you strive to connect who you are in Christ with the games you love to play. So, here’s a message to my former self and to any young Christian athletes looking for help: three lessons I wish I had known when I was first starting out as a college volleyball player. Faith mattered deeply, but for most of my volleyball playing days, I never truly took the time to allow it to influence how I played. Looking back on my long journey with volleyball, however, I’ve realized that while faith and sport were both important to me, a true integration of the two was elusive. From sixth grade through college at Rice University, my days, weekends, and holiday breaks were filled with practices, tournaments, and matches.įaith and sport have influenced so much of who I am, from the friends I’ve made to the way I spend my time. In the end, though, I fell in love with the greatest sport out there-volleyball. They must have covered a lot of miles because I played almost every sport, from basketball and soccer to lacrosse and gymnastics. My earliest memories involve my parents driving me back and forth to practices, games, and camps. Christian faith was living and real for me. Because of this background I understood who Jesus was. I also had parents with an unwavering faith and commitment to the Gospel. From middle school through high school I went to Christian schools where I took Bible classes every semester. I grew up going to church every Sunday and youth group on Wednesday nights. My faith has always been a huge part of my life.

This is the third in a series of posts from former college athletes on the lessons they’ve learned about faith and sports (the first two were from Josh Ehambe and Abby Lee). Editor’s note: Shelby played volleyball for Rice University and is currently a graduate student in the sports ministry program at Baylor’s Truett Seminary.

#Kids bible study sports related series