And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
I’ve been a Boston Celtics fan for almost 40 years – there have been a lot of high points to my fandom over the years, but Tuesday night was certainly one of the lowest. For the past couple years, I’ve been hoping against hope that Gordon Hayward would join the team in free agency, and to my delight this past summer he did this just that. Throw in an unexpected trade for another superstar in Kyrie Irving a month or so later, and this was a team I was really looking forward to watching all year.
But Tuesday night, just 5 minutes in to his Celtics tenure, Hayward jumped, came down awkwardly, and fractured his ankle and tibia. A new team, a new season, and a new dream – all gone in 5 minutes; it was beyond heartbreaking.
Having endured a similar injury myself almost 25 years ago playing basketball, I sympathize all the more. But as I detailed in ‘Break for the Better’, that injury completely changed my life for the better. It humbled me, and helped me appreciate the challenges of others in a way I never would have otherwise.
As a fan, I certainly hope to see Hayward back on the court again in the somewhat near future, but I know the road won’t be easy. Even more importantly, as a man who shares a similar faith as me, I’m hoping his journey is filled with the same unexpected blessings that mine was.