His name is Robbie Khela. He kicked the game-winning goal for Faith Christian’s High School’s varsity soccer play-off game yesterday afternoon. But Khela’s day didn’t start out in glory. In fact, he’d left his soccer uniform at home, and the coach’s wife had to drive Khela home to get it before the big game.

Khela is a sophomore on a varsity team who didn’t see himself as an important part of the roster. He didn’t expect to step onto the field in this playoff game. He expected to ride the bench. And he did. Until the shoot-out after an amazing 1 to 1 game that went into overtime and remained tied at 1 to 1 with the sun going down. Two teams fighting to win, playing hard and fast and furious on the field, and finishing under a bright moon with a beaming, young player riding the shoulders of his tired teammates.

From the get-go it appeared the other team would win. They came from a higher division school. Walked off the bus big and strong and assured of their victory. In the second half, they outshot Faith Christian 9 to 3 on goal. Yet Faith’s goalie, Chase Tollenaar made 16 saves during the game, and another save in the shootout after the still tied 20 minute overtime.

Five first string Faith Christian players began the shootout. Then five more were called upon. The game remained tied even after that. Some PK shots were made, some missed by both teams. The game stretched on with more team members called upon to decide the win. With darkness approaching, the victory came down to a 12th shooter, Khela. The kid David facing a formidable Goliath.

And Khela made the kick!

Faith fans went wild. The defeated goalie lay face down in the grass. Khela’s ecstatic team mobbed him. Young Khela raised up out of the mass, heaved high with his smile as bright as the moon rising overhead.

The Bible says, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body” 1 Corinthians 12.

Scripture goes on to say, “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many. If the foot should say, ‘Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear would say, ‘Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,’ it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts of the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body. The eye cannot say to the hand, ‘I don’t need you!’ And the head cannot say to the feet, ‘I don’t need you!’ On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it” 1 Corinthians 14-26.

Yesterday a soccer team rejoiced. As a team. Every one of them when an unexpected shootout created an unexpected hero.

Yet Faith’s coaches had had their team practicing PK kicks for weeks. The fans may not have seen a shootout coming, but the coaches knew it could come down to a young player like Khela walking onto the field to make or break this playoff game.

Jesus knows about his team, too. You are important. You may not think you are important. You may even leave your uniform home on the day of the big game. But that doesn’t mean God won’t use you. God loves a boy with the slingshot facing a giant. Glory goes to God when things turn out this way.

Photos courtesy of the Appeal-Democrat. Our oldest son is # 21 in the above photo. Picture was taken after he made his PK shot. The little boy with his arms in the air in the last photo is our 5 year old who was so excited big brother won his playoff game.