Overcoming the Odds

Overcoming the Odds

In life there will always be obstacles that are placed before us. Some will be easy and others will be difficult. I could remember a few incidents that made me think I would not be able to overcome certain roadblocks to achieve my goals. It was the summer of 2009; we had just got back home from Antigua & Barbuda of the sixth CVC Basketball Classic tournament. My high school coach had received a letter of acceptance to Word of Life Traditional School in Wichita, Kansas awarding me a full scholarship to play basketball for their school. At that time my mother was unemployed and we were not receiving help from other family members. The only thing that was going through my mind was saying, “Yes, I’ve got a school abroad to better myself and make my mother proud.” When I was looking at my mother’s face as she read the letter; it was full of happiness and stress at the same time. The ticket to Kansas was around eight hundred to one thousand dollars, school was opening in less than three weeks, and we did not have a dollar for my ticket or living expenses. My mother and I had asked family members, friends, and private companies. It has been three weeks and we only had received five hundred dollars. All I could do is cry realizing I can’t go. As my mom witnessed my pain and frustration, she held me and said “God knows best and everything happens on his time, not ours. He wouldn’t bring us this far to fail.” The first week of school had passed and things was still looking bleak. That Friday morning I was shooting on the basketball court trying to clear my head. This guy saw me and asked me why I was not in school I told him about my situation. The man pulled out his wallet and gave me his card and told me to stop by his office that afternoon. Later that day I went to his office and he handed me a check for one thousand dollars. He said, “always work hard and follow your dreams and you will always have support,” I got up and thanked him for giving me an opportunity to pursue my dreams, believing in me, and how I will forever be grateful for his kindness. Once I left the office, I ran all the way home with tears in my eyes and out of breath to show my mom the check. She dropped to her knees and said, “Thank you Lord I know you would make it come through for my baby.” That weekend I spent packing my bags to leave on Tuesday morning. My mother sat down with me and told me that she wasn’t going to take this journey with me, she was frighten because I was only fifteen, and I have never been anywhere out of the country without her. The thought of now having to go to a strange state where I do not know anyone. She had second thoughts about me going. I said to her it cannot be that hard to do this and I am covered in the blood of Jesus. When Tuesday came it was that time to say goodbye, my mother started crying I held her and told her it will be ok even though I was scared yet I had to embrace it also trying to hold back the tears. All in all some things might seem impossible for you; as long as you stick with it, you will be successful. Going through this has truly made me stronger person physically, mentally, and it also has helped me grow to be more mature.