Growing up and well into my adult years, I was a dancer. I’m sure some of you are thinking, “This is the Fellowship of Christian ATHLETES, not dancers.” But let me assure you, as a dancer, you have to be an athlete. We had to practice, commit to conditioning, eat right, get enough sleep, and compete. Dancing definitely took hard work, diligence and teamwork.

David was new to his school and a great athlete. Jonathan was the first teammate David connected with and they became instant friends. For three years David and Jonathan grew very close. In the first game his senior year, David had an accident while driving. Many of his friends didn’t stick by his side, but Jonathan didn’t leave.

Proverbs 17:17 tells us that a friend is loyal—always loyal. We must ask ourselves, What kind of friend am I? Do I stick closer than a brother or take off when it gets tough? Can my friends count on me in times of need or just when things are good? When we find a friend who is loyal, we need to keep him or her around, because they are hard to come by.

Hockey Lesson:  In our recreational games, sometimes we’re on the receiving end of a stinging wack or some harsh words.  You have two choices.  First forget that you came there to play hockey, let rage overtake reason, and go after the guy.  Or second, remember all the wacks and words that you’ve dished out in the past and got away with, and play on.  The choice of what to do is totally yours, but the reactions for your actions (fighting, getting hurt much worse, ejected from the game) are not.