For those who don’t know, UWF softball just won ourselves the Gulf Coast Conference (GSC) Championship! That’s huge for our program and the first time I have even been to the championship game, much less win the whole thing! By the time you read this, we will be playing in the Regional tournament in Tampa. Again, a first for me and all of our seniors! The last time UWF Softball did this was in 2019, so we were due for a good postseason run. Speaking of timing, I began thinking about this amazing experience and how my fellow seniors and I had to wait until our last year to experience this. Remember how I had previously thought about cutting off my collegiate athletic journey early? Well, that wouldn’t have done me any good. Not only would I have not been able to learn all of the valuable life lessons and grow my mindset, I would’ve cut myself off from a championship ring! Funny how that works, isn’t it? What’s even better is how I skipped a grade in middle school, and ended up going to state for MCHS Softball my first year of high school! It feels as if everything has come full circle, I had a hard time leaving my friends when I skipped a grade, but was rewarded by my hard work a year later. Now, as my softball career comes to an end (since I stayed in the sport), we have won the conference tournament and are on our way to making history! Again, funny how that works, isn’t it?
My athletic career is a whole testimony in itself. My experience shows just how much God has our back, as well as how patient we must be when following His path. Nobody said it was going to be easy. Jesus went through torturous things that ended in His death so our road wouldn’t be quite so rough. Yet, we still have a hard time staying on path. I know I do! But, reflecting back on my entire career, I can now see what God was working in me and I am beyond grateful that I worked through all of those challenges and obstacles and am able to see the results. I have no idea where I would be if I hadn’t listened to Him and worked through what He laid out before me. Mind you, this entire experience spanned over several years, so remember this story the next time you get impatient with God’s plan. It’ll all work out in surprising ways if you let it.