Recently, I have been reading tons of books. When you are not married, have no kids, and fly all over the country doing wrestling clinics, you have the freedom to fire through 3-4 books a month, which has improved my life tremendously, and I encourage all of you to began reading more.
One of my latest reads called “Wild At Heart,” by John Eldredge really hit home. John goes into detail about how God developed men with a Wild Heart that longs for adventure, battles, and a desire to save the beauty. He uses Bible verses that say that the Lord is a warrior and God made us in His own image; therefore, men are meant to be warriors as well.
I agree with John but do think that wrestlers exemplify a greater warrior nature then most men. Every time we step on the mat we are going into battle against an enemy who has trained to conquer us. The warrior who puts the time, extra hard work, and belief into training for his battles will increase his chances for victory. Remember, our opponents are only enemies on the mat. Once we step off the mat, we are fellow warriors fighting in the same army in hopes of growing the sport of wrestling. To win each and every battle (match), we have to use the weapons that God has blessed us with. One of my favorite Bible verses is Psalm 144:1. It says,
“Blessed be the Lord my rock who trains my hands for war and my fingers for battle.” Doesn’t that just get you pumped up and ready to snap someone’s head in the mat. It does me! God has also blessed us with other weapons for our battles. We have physical strength, mental strength, and spiritual strength.
Throughout most of my career I relied solely on the physical and mental strength, but finally, I realized I could only get myself so far. Yes, I could work just as hard or harder than anyone and believe in myself completely, but the physical and mental will only take you so far. Once I gave my life up to God and began tapping into His spiritual strength through obedience, prayer, worship, Bible Study, and fellowship, He allowed me to become more complete which made a huge difference in my wrestling success and life. Now, I feel like I am a warrior on and off the mat.
One of my favorite things about wrestling is it prepares you for the battles and struggles of life, which are an everyday occurrence. The verb wrestle means to struggle against an opposing force. Everyday, off the mat, we struggle against opposing forces at school, work, and beyond, and the lessons we learn from wrestling prepare us for life’s daily matches. Remember, it takes physical, mental, and spiritual strength to become a complete athlete and a complete person.
On one of my last trips, I was flying from Albuquerque, NM to Baltimore, MD. I had just finished reading “Wild At Heart” and was inspired to write the poem below. I call it
“From a Young Man’s Soul.” I hope you like it!
There is something deep inside of us who calls us to climb
Not a mountain, tree, or rope but towards something sublime.
Could you be clueless of your next step and might you fail?
Yes, but always knowing and a lack of mystery is an earthly jail.
Don’t cling to your life, give it up, there’s nothing to hide.
Through belief, forgiveness, and submission, you’ll reach the other side.
As the journey continues and evil tugs at your heart,
Strap on your armor, you warrior, let God do His part.
A true warrior is in service to something greater than he.
It takes humbling himself daily and saying, “it’s not about me.”
Can love exist without action? Yes, it tis true.
But, love grows deeper and stronger the more that you do.
The problem with men is that we get bored as we grow.
We forget about adventure, battles, and the woman we know.
To get back on track and know where you should strive,
Ask not what the world needs but what makes you feel alive.
Is it Jesus, Love, a hobby, or the passion of your youth?
For me, a combination of them all is where I found truth.
When you find your truth, habitually, plug in everyday.
Just know, on the ascension towards Heaven, there is only ONE WAY.
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