Life has a way of working itself out.
The older I get, the more I realize that we’re not in control of our circumstances. What we are in control of is the effort we choose to give every day. Once I understood that, life became a lot easier to flow with instead of constantly fighting against it.
I’ve always been an athlete. Growing up, I played football, basketball, and ran track. I eventually earned a partial football scholarship to North Greenville University. But if you had asked me back then how I thought my life would turn out, I would’ve given you a completely different answer.
I think back to the ninth grade at McCracken Junior High.
I passed most of my classes, barely got by in a few others, and completely failed science. I had actually failed the ninth grade.
The only thing I really remember from that time was sitting in the car while my mom yelled at me. She was disappointed, and honestly, I couldn’t blame her. I was disappointed in myself too.
Then something happened that I’ve never forgotten.
The school decided to offer a summer science class for students who had failed so they could still move on to the tenth grade. As far as I knew, they had never offered a summer science class before.
Maybe some people would call that a coincidence.
I don’t.
I believe God stepped in.
Looking back now, I don’t think that opportunity was there by accident.
A few years later, football became my focus.
Like a lot of kids, I dreamed about playing at a big Division I school, making it to the NFL, and taking care of my family. That was the plan I had for my life.
But while I was in high school, we went through several coaching changes. At the time, it felt like the coaches were more focused on building their own programs than helping players get recruited.
My senior season ended, and I had no scholarship offers.
Graduation came.
Still nothing.
I honestly didn’t know if college football was going to happen for me.
Then, just a few days after graduation, my phone rang.
It was my head coach telling me that North Greenville University liked the way I played and wanted to offer me a partial scholarship.
I was excited, but looking back now, I appreciate something even more.
North Greenville is a Christian school.
At the time, I didn’t think much about that. Now, I can’t help but wonder if God had been directing my steps long before I realized it.
Even after college, though, life still didn’t go according to my plan.
I thought football would eventually lead me to the NFL. When that didn’t happen, my confidence took a hit. For a long time, I looked at my circumstances and thought they were the reason I wasn’t where I wanted to be. I blamed the coaching changes. I blamed the lack of opportunities. I blamed everything around me.
It wasn’t until years later, when I became a personal trainer—and honestly, not on my own terms—that something finally clicked.
I realized it isn’t the environment that has to change first.
It’s the person inside the environment.
That’s the lesson I had been missing all along.
The funny thing about life is that I actually had the opportunity to become a personal trainer right after college, but I turned it down because I couldn’t see the purpose in it. I wasn’t ready yet.
Sometimes God puts opportunities in front of us long before we’re mature enough to recognize them.
It took almost ten years after college, several different jobs, and a lot of life lessons before I finally discovered what I believe God created me to do.
Looking back now, I don’t get frustrated by the delays anymore.
Every setback taught me something.
Every disappointment built something in me.
Every closed door pushed me toward another one.
If I had gotten everything I wanted when I wanted it, I probably wouldn’t be the man I am today.
That’s why I don’t worry as much about trying to control every circumstance anymore.
I focus on controlling my effort.
I trust God with the rest.
Because eventually, life has a way of working itself out.
And one day, you’ll look back and realize that every lesson you learned along the way prepared you for exactly where you were meant to be.