Last night, as I was contemplating the recent events of my life that seem to have altared my future in such a drastic way, I thought about many things past, present and future, and it all came together in this poem I wrote called The Victory.
This is the victory that overcomes the world; foes of every kind.
Whether on the football gridiron or in this game called life,
It's in FAITH where true triumph we find.
Through the blood, sweat, and tears of our own sacrifice,
Yes. Certain victories we can obtain.
But only the sacrifice of the one True Champ,
Brings victory that eternally remains.
In case you are wondering about the significance of all the Bearcat Green, picture of Jason (my brand new son), this poem, and the national championship ring ... let me explain.
As many people know, my older brother Jason David Simmons was killed in a car wreck in 1998. He and I shared a passion for football, and were both going to school at NWMSU. I was playing football for the Bearcats, and he was a math major and my number 1 fan. When he died in the spring of 1998, it really took the wind out of my sails. Because I had no relationship with God of my own... I went to the only god I knew to try to find a way to honor my brother. That god was football ... and I told Jason on his deathbed that we would win the 1998 National Championship in his memory. It was all I knew to do.
In 1998, although I was ignorantly looking in the wrong place for comfort, the true God of comfort (Jesus) graced our team with an experience that would be remembered for a lifetime. For the first time in school history, we won the National Championship and were the first team in NCAA DII history to go 15-0. What a gift it was to my entire family, to have such a joyful experience to hasten the healing process. God honored my faith, even when my faith was rather shallow. Needless to say... the ring pictured above was our earthly prize for the victory we had won through our blood, sweat and tears that year.
This was just one of many gifts my family received in those difficult years following however. There were so many tangible displays of God's grace that my mom felt led to write a book called "Lifted up from the deep" to document the miraculous power of God's healing love that we were experiencing as a family. You can read about the book and see a video trailer by clicking here.
At the end of that video, there is a picture (briefly) of my older brother Jason with his arm raised in the air. He is in his football pads, and the pic was taken on the sidelines of a hs football game. My mom used this pic in her book and advertising for it. Next to the pic she put the verse I John 5:4 which says:
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith.
To me... the ring in the picture above represents victory. Not just in the earthly realm through our own blood, sweat and tears, but it represents the victory that God gave my brother prior to his death when he gave his life to Christ. Although it didn't then, it now represents the victory that God gave to me, as through this trial, I began to explore my own need for a victory that lasts. But because it is material, it also serves as a reminder that anything we accomplish in this life that doesn't have eternal value is perishable. It can be lost at anytime. I found that to be true when I lost this ring in Boston, MA back in 2002. Ironically, I lost the ring while visiting the east coast to watch my sister Jenny win her own NCAA Division II national championship in the pole vault.
I always wanted that ring back. It was special... but it was gone. Fastforward to 2008.
In early October of 2008, the very same week of my brother Jason's birthday (Oct. 8th), Amy and I found out that our second child would indeed be a boy. The choice of name was a "no-brainer." I'll always cherish the opportunity to tell my parents that we were going to honor their oldest-child's legacy by naming our first-born son after him. Jason Wesley Simmons was the name we chose, and we got to tell mom and dad at an always painful time on the calendar, as they annually remember the birth of their beloved Jason back in 1975.
As our Jason's birthday grew nearer, Amy and my mom began to plot and plan a way to make this special day in my life even better. Amy had the idea to replace my 1998 championship ring and give it to me on the day of Jason's birth in February. I'm so glad that Amy and mom had the opportunity to bond in this special way before mom died. They created a very special moment in time for me. It is a blessing I will cherish forever.
Four days after the birth of my son Jason Wesley Simmons, my mother suddenly and shockingly died at the age of 58. The first pages of her book were written in response to the tragedy of having her son Jason ripped from her arms. It almost seems that now, the last chapter of her book and life were complete as she received in the very same week a double portion of the Jason's she loved. She was here for our Jason's arrival, and I like to think that her Jason was their for hers, as she crossed into the eternal realm and was reunited with him in Christ.
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world; our faith.
