If you haven’t already heard the news famed quarterback Andrew Luck has decided to retire from the game he once loved. At the tender age of 29 and leaving potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in future earnings behind, Luck stated “I’ve been stuck in this process. I haven’t been able to live the life I want to live. “
Luck has been contemplating retirement for the past two weeks, as the pain on his ankle wasn’t subsiding. He felt “quite exhausted, quite tired” after the constant pain from the ankle injury, only two years after recurring shoulder pain cost him his 2017 season. Luck battled rib and shoulder issues for much of 2015 and 2016 before the shoulder injury. Luck returned in 2018 from the shoulder injury to throw for a career-high 4,593 yards with 39 touchdowns and 15 interceptions for a 98.7 passer rating.
Critics have accused him of being soft, unwilling to continue to sacrifice his body. Supporters have defended his decision and courage to walk away and change the direction of his life.
Whether Luck is a coward who has gone soft or a courageous young man who wants something different for himself and his family is something only he knows for certain. What Luck’s decision can show you and me is that sometimes, I would argue often, we get stuck in the process. While much of life is a process, many of us seldom consider the decisions we make. We spend life living for others or other things such as; money, fame, praise, thanks, glorification, and recognition.
The life we want doesn’t just come upon us, it requires certain decisions. While we will undoubtedly face many obstacles and challenges, continuing to make the right decisions is part of the process. God does not promise that we will have the life we want but he does promise a life lived following him will be a process that can be more fully enjoyed knowing that we are on the road we were meant to travel. Our lives here on earth are short and our time uncertain. We don’t take society’s praise or our money with us. No one is standing at the pearly gates asking us for financial statements but we will be asked to give an account for our lives and the decisions we make.
CBSSports.com