What are we chasing?

Ever since I was a little girl, I was on a chase. A chase to become the best volleyball player I could be. When I take a look around, I believe we are all on some type of chase. If you don’t know your chase, think: What’s that one thing that gets you out of bed in the morning (not coffee haha) or what tends to consume your mind on a daily basis? Whatever that thing is, it’s probably what you are chasing in this world. 

Since I was 5 years old, my full-speed chase was  “volleyball” up until I reached my Olympic dream back in 2021.

Whether I was at home, at school, or even in church, I was fixated on volleyball. Call me obsessed; I loved everything about it. When I prayed at night, I would say, “Lord, I want to work hard and go far in volleyball.” Looking back at my younger self, I’m not quite sure what kind of prayer that was, hahaha. All I know for certain is that I had a plan and a dream, and I just wanted God to stick with it.

As I grew up, my prayer stayed the same while my love of the game grew and grew. I went on to win State Titles and a couple of National Championships and started my professional beach volleyball career at 22 years old. I look back, and I think, “Wow, God, you really were sticking with my plan.” But that wasn’t enough for me, the chase was still on. The mountain top grew taller, and my eyes grew wider when my “Olympic” dream was finally in reach. In my soul, I knew that if I had just reached that feat, I’d be satisfied. God stuck to my plan, and by His grace, my beach partner and I earned the second spot to represent the United States in the Tokyo Olympic Games for beach volleyball.

I was 24 years old at the top of “my” mountain. But the Olympic Games came and went and at the end of the two weeks I asked myself….”That’s it?Now what?”… I was left empty and unfulfilled. 

On the last day of the Tokyo Olympic Games, I came to know Christ. Many come to know the Lord in many ways, in different stages of life, in the valleys of life, or on mountaintops. I got to meet Him on the mountaintop of my life, the Olympics.

What I thought would be the greatest moment of my life left me with one big question: Why do I feel unsatisfied and unfulfilled? My soul was unsatisfied. I could already feel myself looking to the future to chase the next thing, an accomplishment, money, fame, success, anything that I thought would satisfy its hunger and fill the missing void. I wondered, if this chase that I’ve been on and this accomplishment doesn’t fully satisfy me… what on this green earth will?

As I wrestled with these questions on my flight back from Tokyo, I was met with what I would call the biggest light bulb moment of my life. This ultimate realization that this chase I was on my whole life, the olympics, would never truly satisfy me, only God Himself could.

I believe the Lord was saying to me, “Sarah, go on this chase… I will be with you along the way and give you everything you want in life, everything you pray about. You will work hard, and you will go far in volleyball. You’ll win State Titles and National Championships, and you’ll even be an Olympian at 24 years old, but in the end, you’ll still feel a void, you’ll feel unsatisfied.” 

I believe God followed me on that mad chase to open my eyes and allow me to realize where I would really find true satisfaction throughout my life: in Him and in having a true relationship with the One who created me. I look at volleyball differently now. It is a gift the Lord has given me to enjoy and work hard at, but I know now it doesn’t define me, nor will it truly satisfy me in this life. 

My story reminds me of an interview Tom Brady had on “60 Minutes” back in 2008. Tom’s sitting there, and he quotes, “I have three Super Bowl rings, and still think there is something greater out there for me… I think, God, there’s got to me more than this, this can’t be what it’s all cracked up to be, I’ve done it, I’m twenty-seven, what is there for me?” The interviewer says, “What’s the answer?” And Tom goes, “I wish I knew.” Tom Brady is one of the greatest football players ever to play the game. From there, he went on to win another four Super Bowl rings. I was listening to this interview and thought, “Wow, he said the answer to his question but didn’t even know it. “I think, GOD”.

There is true power in the name of Jesus Christ. He has changed the course of how I live my life and how I look at sports… Just as He has power, I can feel the immense pull and power sports has had and still has on me and many others. It takes us all on a chase. I think Tom would agree.

Today, the chase looks different for me. I try to keep volleyball in its rightful place below God and family. But I can’t lie; it’s easier said than done.

My question now becomes, how do we chase after Jesus Christ all while playing within the powerful world of sports? What does it look like to play the sports we love and compete hard at, all while wearing a biblical lens?

The question I’d like to leave us thinking about this week is, what chase are you on? 

Repeat Song of the Week: Worthy (Elevation Worship)