It is World Cup time, y’all.

If you knew me a few years back, you might remember when my daily Facebook posts were about soccer—not so much religion and faith. But I would not have gotten to where I am now without soccer. Soccer is where I found my voice and my love for community-building—authentically, not by using people.

Soccer is where I started raging against the machine. I saw what big clubs were doing and knew I could do something better by telling a better story. I have no background in soccer, mind you. I know how to tell a story that breathes new life into a toxic culture. I had no awareness of that gift at the time, though. I just started doing it out of desperation for my kids. I wanted them to have a good soccer experience.

A club was formed in Wylie, TX, called Mutiny, and it was created to serve the community, not the empire. I went all in. It was a place where we treated families and children like humans, and everyone got to play. Jake Bruehl was adamant that we would start developing players age-appropriately and we would develop our own players. We weren’t going to look like we were succeeding b/c we stole other teams’ players. It is one thing if they left their teams to come to us out of their own desire, but we did not pursue other teams’ players unless they were the bench players—or if I knew these players were being mistreated. It was like Jesus approaching the disciples and telling them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat if they wanted to catch any fish.

This is how I feel about religion now. Everyone gets to play, and everyone will be treated like a human. Mistakes are welcome; abuse is not. Soccer was training me for this message.

Soccer has brought so much life and joy to my family. It has brought us a lot of grief too. When we got involved with Mutiny, our lives changed for the better. I found a voice within me I would not have found in the church. The world is better b/c Mutiny existed, and I always say that. The community that we as a team, built there, I have not seen it anywhere else in the soccer world. Not even close. Like with many good things, though, there was a tragic ending. That one was real, and it was not Mutiny’s fault. But that ending does not define the story of Mutiny; it is not even most of the story. But that ending had a lot to do with what is/was happening in our culture then, and we learned a lot.

We spent a lot of time with our various beloved communities watching the World Cup together throughout the years. Even with our church youth group on the way to Atlanta, we watched a World Cup game at The Varsity restaurant. It was USA vs Belgium. Jake remembers the teams. Ha!

We also spent Thanksgiving with the Haitian Amputee World Cup team in 2014. The director of Mutiny at the time was one of their coaches. The players’ injuries happened due to Haiti’s massive earthquake in 2010. It was quite a story, and these players were full of joy and hope. They even got to meet the Pope! Many said they would not have found their way without the earthquake. While I don’t ascribe to the theology that everything happens for a reason, I think the players are right that sometimes unexpected doors open in the most tragic of circumstances. It does not erase what was lost, but we cannot discount that it brought new life too. Both/and. I hear that more than ever right now.

Look at our history with soccer. Look at the joy. All of that was real, which is why the grief was so deep. Grief is love with nowhere to go, as the saying goes. I would not change a thing about this time. Of course I wish I knew some things then that I know now, but I would not know what I know now without this incredibly special time in our lives.

I am looking forward to watching USA vs Vietnam today. This is Vietnam’s first time in the World Cup, friends. How cool is that?!

Now to talk about “We Can Do Hard Things” podcast. Every day there is something for me to share with you. 🙂

Abby Wambach was the guest (and host) of the latest We Can Do Hard Things podcast. She talked with her wife, Glennon, and sister-in-law, Amanda, about her World Cup experiences. It is fascinating and inspiring. I highly recommend everyone to go and have a listen.

Abby was in 3 World Cups where she started and played every second, but the team never came out with a World Cup victory. By the 4th World Cup, she made the team but was not going to get to start—she was 35 and slowing down. She knew that was the right move, but it still pissed her off. She had to deal with her big feelings about it. And she had to deal with her feelings that they finally won when she was not a starter.

But Abby Wambach’s contribution to USA Women’s soccer is incomparable. She made world-changing goals (headers, specifically) that changed USA soccer forever. It isn’t always in the winning where significant changes are made. It is often in the details that get overlooked far too often by the shinier things that distract us from what it took to get there.

Abby’s ability to surrender and be a bench player in her 4th and final World Cup paved the way for the USA to finally clinch the victory. Her mentorship and leadership were still invaluable; the team needed her there. That is why she still made the team.

Love reflecting on these memories. Now I am back into it. Returning home. I have experienced a lot of life-changing moments that have changed me and my family forever through soccer. These moments have impacted my faith and how I see the world profoundly. I embrace it all with deep gratitude.