Isaiah Kacyvenski

I recently saw a television interview with Isaiah Kacyvenski. He grew up with five siblings in extreme poverty with an abusive alcoholic father. "We would walk around on eggshells all day. I remember playing around the house, if something would break, it didn't matter what kid it was, we all had to line up, drop [our] pants, and he would just whip us," he says. "I remember not being able to sit for a week at a time, just in so much pain."

They were so poor that they often had to sleep in tents and were homeless. After their food stamps ran out, they would go for weeks with only having popcorn and dried milk for supper. They also scavenged the dumpsters for food. He recalls the kids at school noticing his grass stained jeans because it would be several weeks between washing. Even his high school sweetheart had to loan him money.

His mother however kept the family’s spirits alive and gave them the attitude that they could conquer anything. She kept them going and nurtured the children through even the toughest times. She was his strength and encouragement to better himself. His biggest goal was to live normal in a house with 2.5 kids and dog. She gave him love when she could give him nothing else.

He decided that a college education was the only way out of his poor world. From an early age, he decided that no one at his school was going to out work him. He said, “I would take what God gave me and max it out every single day.” He studied and started training hard to be an athlete so he could get scholarships. He became an honor student and captain of his football and wrestling teams. The morning of the championship game his senior year, he was awoken with the news that his mom had been ran over and killed. He decided to play anyway and cried the whole way to the game. He stepped on the field and instantly felt a peace come over him like his mother was their cheering for him. He played the best game of his life, but when he stepped off the field, his mother was still dead and he had to deal with the grief. Motivated by his past, he poured himself into his goals. Towards the end of his senior year he received an offer to play at Harvard.

He did go on to Harvard on scholarship. He did lead his team to their first Ivy League title in decades. He did graduate with a degree in environmental science and public policy, and also completed pre-med requirements with honors. He did get drafted into the NFL. He did play as a team captain on the Seattle Seahawks team that won the 2006 Super Bowl (he now plays for the St. Louis Rams). He did marry his high school sweetheart and he did have two kids and a normal house.

What he did not do was walk through his Harvard graduation. After all of the work, he chose to stay at training camp. Instead, he asked his dad to walk for him. After years of hard work recovering from alcohol and mending the relationship with his kids, the father got to accept the diploma for his son’s perseverance. Even more, he got to hear his son say that he forgives him and is proud of the work he had done to recover. They had both worked hard to get onto the track they wanted to be on. The son was living his reward, he just wanted his dad to get one too.

Isaiah wrote in an article for http://www.incrediblepeople.com/people(2001-07-04).htm “When I was drafted by Seattle, it was the culmination of a little boy’s dream and years of hard work. There was no secret potion, no magic hat. It boiled down to hard work and me answering one question: Do I want it bad enough? My path to this point in my life had many twists and turns in which I have fallen and was picked up along the way. Now my family and I wouldn’t have to worry about where our next meal came from, or if we could make it through another cold shower in the dead of winter anymore.
I remember nights when my mom would hold me and tell me how she was going to win the lottery and scoop us up and whisk us away to paradise. Well, each of us kids did win the lottery in our own special way. But she’s already in paradise....”

I share his story because he epitomizes a difficult life: poverty, abuse, and the death of his mom - his biggest supporter. He also is an example of hard work, will, and positive influences that produced a resilient person. I think most people would have crawled under a rock and wanted to die. He used his past difficulties to motivate him to change his situation. He persevered and worked his way to being resilient. He also allowed himself to forgive his father and be an encouragement to him. He is a great example. Because I have not done his story justice, I encourage you to read more about him at the above web address and at http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/seahawks/2006-04-12-kacyvenski-feature_x.htm. He was also featured on Oprah and his interview with her can be found on Oprah.com.

I have several friends with similar tales. They have taught me a tremendous amount about how to be resilient. Do you have a great example of resilience in your life?

On the road to resilience,
Kathy

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us. Romans 5:3-5