When I made Varsity lacrosse my sophomore year of high school, the first thing I thought about was how unbelievably thrilled I was, of course. The second thing I thought about was how much it was going to hurt when my upperclassmen teammates left for college just a couple months after my getting to know them.
All throughout high school, the general concept of people coming into my life and quickly leaving troubled me. It’s a hard thing to grasp, the fact that God places significant friends and mentors in our presence just to take them away so soon. That year, it didn’t take long before my team became my family; I viewed each senior as a role model in their own way, and a couple had become best friends of mine.
As the final buzzer sounded at our last game of the season, I broke down into tears. All I could think about was how unfair life was and the fact that I would never again play a lacrosse game with some of these girls. I remember thinking to myself, “Is it even worth getting close to people that are only temporarily in our lives?” While my sadness was an acceptable reaction at the time, my bitterness was not.
Two years later, I had a similar mindset but with reversed roles. As a Varsity captain of two years, I spent a great deal of time investing in younger players, hoping to lead and influence them just as the older girls led me when I was new to the program. The difference between my sophomore and senior year as far as mentoring in lacrosse was knowing the value in relationships. Intentionally seeking girls out quickly became my main priority. Although bitterness remained in my heart and the fear of getting close to people that I would soon leave nearly held me back at times, I refused to miss out on an opportunity to lead and to serve. I had not yet fully uncovered the lesson I was slowly learning, but I knew God wanted me leading without restraint.
Now, as a student-athlete in my freshman year of college, the cycle has started over. I am back to being the youngin in need of a role model to guide me through the transition. This time, however, I have no intention of holding back from investing in these relationships. This time I understand that anyone God brings into my life is placed there intentionally, and there is absolutely no good in wasting such a beautiful opportunity to lead and be led.
Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” The future holds uncertainty; we have no idea if our best friend, teammate, or role model will be taken out of our lives tomorrow, next year, or decades from now. Don’t hold back your love. Don’t waste an opportunity to sharpen or be sharpened.
Knowing a wonderful person for just one day is better than not knowing a wonderful person at all.
