It is just me, or are many of you noticing that this Warriors season all about overtime? Now I’m not a big stats guy, but according to my elementary math, after 24 games the Warriors have gone to overtime 10 times! That means that over 40% of this season’s games have been decided by either 4 on 4 or 3 on 3 hockey! How exciting! How stressful! It’s like an 11 week advertisement so far for Advil or Motrin! We need a sign at the entrance to RLP which says, “Entering this arena for Warriors hockey could be hazardous to your heart!”
According to the same math skills as mentioned above, (btw, I was never great at Algebra, Calculus or Trig) I believe that we are 5 wins and 5 losses in those 10 overtimes. Also, whether the Warriors are at home or on the road, results in the extra sessions are pretty much an even split. And of course the trouble with overtime is that both teams get points, so it’s difficult to put any distance between conference rivals in the standings when overtime is so prevalent. Yep, this year’s edition of the West Kelowna Warriors Junior A Hockey Club could be labeled The Heart Attack Gang.
Speaking of Stress: None of our lives are exempt from it, in fact Warriors overtimes are most likely the least of the stresses that we face. Stresses such as serious health, relational or financial issues can be incredibly debilitating. I speak constantly with people who are barely hanging on to their sanity, trying the very best they know how to make it through their weeks and months. Others try to appear as though everything is great, while inwardly they are dying. Oftentimes this stress results in physical problems; showing itself in varying heart conditions, in headaches or depression.
Let me be clear here: much of our lives are filled with wonderful people and fabulous times. For those times in my life I will never neglect to be truly thankful to my Lord. However, great times are usually accompanied with a paradoxical twin, kind of like two parallel rails on a train track. One track in wonderful and the other is struggle, and they both exist at the same time. Within that struggle, I have always directed people to trust in the love and mercy of Christ. I have found that in the real world that I speak to people about, Christ has proven to be such a Calmer of the storm and a Peace in turmoil.
Thanks for reading my Chaplain’s blog. If you’d like to connect with me, my email address is drichmond@hockeyministires.org. I’d love to have a coffee or a chat with you. Meanwhile, let’s keep cheering for our Heart Attack Gang!
With Christ’s love,
Don Richmond, Warriors Chaplain
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