David Ash has loved to play football since he was a child.

Mike Finger reports: “Outside the 15th Street Church of Christ in Temple, there's a bush where he used to begin his Sunday mornings by hiding a football. As soon as the service ended, Ash would tear off his church clothes - he usually had planned ahead and wore his play clothes underneath - and headed straight for the ball.”

"It was a lot faster to get it out of the bush than to ask my dad for the keys to the car," Ash said. "So I had the maximum amount of time to play with it."

That love for football – and a lot of talent to go with it – helped David Ash achieve what many young football players could only dream about: he became the quarterback for the University of Texas Longhorns.

But last September, he suffered his first concussion in a game against BYU. Then, two weeks later, he suffered more concussion symptoms in a game against Kansas State. He sought to work through these issues, but after the first game of this season against North Texas, he suffered dizziness and headaches for seven days.

His doctors suggested that he may have to consider giving up football. And as painful as it was, David Ash made the decision to end his football career. He announced his decision in a news conference this past Monday. He said that although it was not an easy decision, he was “at peace” with it. He had no regrets in his career at UT in which he started 22 games and passed for 4,728 yards. "I wouldn't change any of it," Ash said.

Now listen to this young man who has had to give up one of his dreams, something that he has loved since he was a child… "I'm not a victim, I'm a victor,” he said on Monday. “Football was never my gift - Jesus was!” *

He’s right. Of all the talents, blessings, and “gifts” that come from God (James 1:17), the greatest Gift of all is the gift of His Son Jesus, who died on the cross for our sins (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7).

Without Jesus, we would ALL be lost in our sins and headed to eternal destruction (Matthew 7:13-14). Yet, because God loves us so much that He gave His Son to die on the cross for our sins, we can have forgiveness and receive the gift of eternal life (Romans 6:23).

We must accept God’s Gift on His terms by placing our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38). Then, as we continue to walk in the light of His Word, the blood of Jesus continues to cleanse us from all our sins (1 John 1:7).

From the “ashes” of his outstanding football career, David Ash understands that the greatest Gift is Jesus.

“Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!” – 2 Corinthians 9:15

Won’t YOU acknowledge that great truth by submitting your life in trusting obedience to the One who died for you so that you might live?

David A. Sargent, Minister

Church of Christ at Creekwood 
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama  36695

* Information gleaned from “UT's Ash finds peace in decision to give up football” by Mike Finger of the Houston Chronicle, www.houstonchronicle.com

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