Last week I saw Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors accept the 2016 NBA Most Valuable Player trophy for the second year in a row. Amazingly, Steph was the first player in the history of the NBA to to win the award by a unanimous vote. If you know nothing about sports, this in itself is an amazing accomplishment...but there's more to the story.
The photo above is a of Steph at Davidson Collge in North Carolina where he grew up. He ended up at Davidson instead of Duke or UNC - both basketball powerhouses in the state - mostly because no one in the media or coaching staffs saw any potential in him.
As a sophmore in high school, Steph was 5'6" and 125 lbs but he worked hard to improve. Every day, little by little, practicing when others were having fun or resting. He just kept working to improve his skills. By his senior year, the Lord blessed him to grow to 6'3" but by this time he still was not considered a national recruit. But Steph kept practicing. When no big schools were knocking on his door, no agents were calling his parents, Steph kept anyway at it anyway.
This article by Tam Pham written after he won MVP last year outlines the story
What caused Steph to believe in himself when everyone else counted him out as a major basketball concern? What made him keep practicing and playing and practicing some more, year after year, all the while being overlooked by scouts and coaches? This is the work of God in the life of a believer. I'm sooo inspired by this young man and the God I see in his life. When everything around us says "No you can't" and "You're not good enough" - God speaks to our hearts and says "Yes you can!"
The bible is full of stories of ordinary people doing extraordinary things because of their faith in God and and His Son Jesus who is described as the author and finisher of our faith in Hebrews 12:2a. Hebrews 11:1 which defines faith for us as "the reality of what we hope for, it is the evidence of what we cannot see." The chapter goes on to tell stories of the impact of faith in God on the lives of those living during old testament times. Kingdoms were conquered, promises were obtained, foreign armies were fended off, and from weakness men and women were made strong - all because they trusted in God who is able to do more than we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
By his own testimony, Steph is a believer in God and His Son Jesus Christ. We are all fortunate enough to be able to enjoy his faith with every three-point shot he launches.
Be Blessed!
Tonya
