Dealing With Disappointment While Keeping Your Character

After a 7-month long football famine, the 2015 NFL season begins this week. Beleaguered fans, and the players they follow, have been longing for this much anticipated fall ritual – opening night – and it is finally here. The Pittsburgh Steelers will take on the defending Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots on Thursday, September 10th. So, are you ready for some football?

One person who isn’t, due to a freak injury in the preseason, is Wallaceburg’s Shaun Suisham. The Pittsburgh Steelers’ place kicker was involved in a season-ending knee injury on a kickoff return in the August 9th Hall of Fame game. After giving his team the early 3-0 lead, Suisham suffered a torn ACL later in the game, slamming the door shut on all hopes for the upcoming season. Little did they know, as Wallaceburg’s football-famished fans watched in horror that night, God was working behind the scenes.

Fast forward to the Tuesday after the game. I was praying for Shaun and his family and decided to send him an email to try to cheer him up. His reply to me was evidence of the classy character we have seen in this man since he started his professional career.

“Life wouldn’t be much fun if everything went according to our own plans. I’ll continue to grow through this. I appreciate your prayers” said Suisham.

Honestly, I expected a reply such as this because I know that Shaun Suisham realizes his life is in God’s hands. He has gotten this far by God’s grace and it is that same God who will get him through this challenging and frustrating situation.

It’s easy to be upbeat and positive when things are going your way, but true character is only revealed when it is tested. James 1:2-4 gives some good advice on dealing with disappointment and adversity. It says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

Growth in one’s character is a painful process but the results are so worth it. Shaun Suisham knows that and is prepared to pay that price. He’s not the only one who will benefit from this growth, either. His family will see how he deals with this trial, as well as every player on the Steelers’ roster. This season will not play out the way he had imagined, but it will certainly be one that he’ll never forget. Get better soon, Shaun! Your Wallaceburg fan base is firmly behind you all the way!