Celebrating Joel Byrne
Psalm 116:15 reads – “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His SAINTS.” Another version of the same text reads….”Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His FAITHFUL SERVANTS.“
This week we are saying goodbye – only for a time – to one of God’s truly FAITHFUL SERVANTS…one of God’s SAINTS…..Joel Byrne.
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For those of you that don’t know me….My name is Jay….and I’ve had the distinct honor and privilege of being Joel’s soccer coach for the past 7 years. During those 7 years, I’ve been blessed to witness a young man grow in wisdom and in stature in so many areas….and I want to share a little bit about that.
ATHLETIC ACHIEVEMENTS:
Most everyone knows about Joel the athlete. Pretty much everything Joel did, he did well. Joel was a fantastic soccer player. He was skilled, and fast, and had the most incredible work rate (or motor) that I have ever seen. Nobody worked harder than Joel. Nobody had more natural desire. He was simply relentless. He was a legend.
And nobody wanted to improve like Joel. After every practice, Joel would ask me for 1 or 2 things that he could do better. It never failed…. after every practice. It got to the point where I had to start making stuff up…just to satisfy Joel’s curiosity and desire to improve. And as the other players started over-hearing these conversations….some of them also started doing the same…asking what they could work on to get better. That was how Joel led…by example.
I want to share a text message that Joel sent me in 2021 that perfectly sums up his desire to be great:
“GOOD AFTERNOON COACH JAY. I JUST HAD ONE QUICK QUESTION ABOUT SOCCER. I NOTICED THAT THIS SEASON, I FEEL LIKE I HAVEN’T DONE VERY WELL. I FEEL LIKE MY TOUCH, LOOKING UP, SHOT, AND PASSING HAVE BEEN VERY OFF. I CAN’T REALLY SEEM TO FIND THE RIGHT SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS. COULD YOU RECOMMEND SOME DRILLS TO HELP ME WITH THESE CONCERNS. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GREAT NIGHT!”
Who does this??? Joel does.
I can assure you all…that Joel was not having a rough season, and he was doing amazingly well…but this was how important it was for him to put all of himself into his craft…to seek continual improvement.
As good as Joel was on the field, and as impressive was his work ethic….even more important was this…. Joel loved his teammates. He took more pride in his teammate’s accomplishments than his own. He took more joy in passing to his teammates, and trying to set them up for success than he would in scoring himself. It got to the point where I had to instruct Joel to be “a little more selfish” as he was always looking to distribute even though he was by far one of our best goal scorers. Joel was the consummate teammate. He loved his teammates….and they loved him.
CHARACTER:
The other distinct and amazing thing about Joel was his character and humility. It was awe inspiring. It was so rare…especially in the life of a young teen. He would always thank me and Coach Norm for coaching him after each practice…with that great big smile.
While the other boys were getting a drink or goofing around between drills, Joel would always ask if he could help set up cones for the next drill. I mean really….nobody does this stuff. And it was always casual and matter-of-fact. Never forced. Never self-righteous. Just genuine and humble. Like a Faithful Servant.
- JOEL WAS ALSO GOOFY:
Fire Ball Socks / 3 gallon water bottle / Wiping tomato sauce off spaghetti / Singing Frozen during car pool / New Soccer Balls
- STORY OF RUNNING LAPS IF YOU WERE LATE FOR PRACTICE
Joel was a leader and was always looked out for the underdog. When the boys reached the age when quality was currency, Joel never bit. He treated everyone the same….regardless of standing on the team. He was the most consistently kind player that I’ve ever seen. Bar none. I’ve heard countless stories this past week about how he stood up for kids that were getting teased, or bullied, or weren’t the best on their team. Joel always stood up and did what was RIGHT…not what was convenient or popular.
Some of the dads and I were reminiscing about Joel this week over a group text thread. About what an amazing young man Joel was. About his amazing character. We joked that our new parenting mantra would start with “What would Joel Byrne do….”. Dad, can I go out tonight. Sure son…but what would Joel Byrne do. That is the impact that Joel has made on us all. That is the light that continues to shine.
FAITH:
The last thing I want to talk about is Joel’s faith…and this is the most important thing of all.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD GAME STORY:
During the time that Joel was growing in his faith, I remember a conversation that I had with him. Like it was yesterday. We were playing in a pressure packed State Cup game against a really good team. And to be fair…Joel was having a pretty rough game…by his standards. He was clearly nervous…and he was putting too much pressure on himself. Way too much pressure. I remember pulling him out to allow him to regroup and gather himself a little bit. When I was ready for him to go back in…I walked him to midfield as I would normally do when making a substitution. And I asked him “Joel…do you believe in God”? I already knew the answer. He looked at me surprised with those big eyes like he wasn’t expecting that question at all. He was probably expecting some specific instructions or maybe just a kick in the butt. He said that yes he did believe in God. I said…”right, then you also know Romans 8:28 says that God wants good things for those that love Him. So…if that is true….what is there to be nervous about? If we win this game…you win. If we lose this game…you learn. Either way, it will be what God wants for you. So why be nervous…just go play! And play he did..scoring a stunning goal and playing like the Joel Byrne we know and love.
The important part of that story is that Joel believed in God. And he loved Jesus. Joel believed John 3:16 which reads that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
And that changed everything.
2nd Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here”.
This is important…..Joel wasn’t perfect. I’m sure his sisters can share some stories that would verify that. But Joel isn’t in Heaven because he was so very good, or because of all the amazing things he did. Joel is in Heaven because he was made to be a new creation.
Joel had made an exchange. He exchanged his imperfect nature for the perfect and sinless righteousness of Jesus. When Jesus, who lived a perfect life, died on the cross for Joel, and for you, and for me…He made a way for all of us to be reconciled to God through faith in Him.
It is this relationship alone….this faith….that made Joel special. The world is full of nice guys, that do good things…..but when you trust Jesus with all of the details of your life, when you submit completely to God as the authority in your life….you are no longer just a nice guy….you are FORGIVEN. And you have a place with God, in Heaven, for eternity.
And that was Joel. That is the light that we all saw.
Now…maybe you don’t consider yourself a believer. Maybe you don’t understand all this God talk. My challenge to you is to find out for yourself what made Joel different. Find out why his light was SO BRIGHT. You saw it. You can’t deny it. You know there was something different about Joel. And you owe it to yourself, to find out what that was. Maybe in due time talk to Mr. and Mrs. Byrne…ask them about it. They can help you start your own journey. Maybe that is how God will use Joel’s legacy. The transformation of hearts…of sports teams…of schools…of communities. That is the legacy of a FAITHFUL SERVANT.
And if you consider yourself a believer…like I do….remember the story from Roberto’s letter….of Joel in the locker room before football practice…reading his Bible. I loved Roberto’s words that while Joel sat there reading his Bible….Joel “held no pride nor shame”. I reflected on that a lot this week. I’ve been a Christian for 30 years….and I know that I struggle to find this balance. I know there are times that I’m just plain proud. I also know there are times that I’m too passive in my faith…perhaps out of shame, or not wanting to offend someone.
Yet somehow Joel Byrne….all 15 years….found that perfect balance. Maybe more Christians can live out their faith “without pride nor shame”. I know I want.
Friends…that is the legacy of Joel Byrne. This is why we celebrate even in our mourning. This is what makes him a Saint…a Faithful Servant.
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Don, Monica, Julia and Jane. Thank you for sharing Joel with all of us all these years. Thank you for entrusting me to spend so much time with him these past 7 years. And while we (like you) mourn and grieve…and will miss Joel with all our heart…please know that Joel is with God in Heaven…for eternity. And that is a really long time. And we will see him again. And that Heaven rejoiced and Angels sang at Joel’s arrival. And that God can turn GRAVES INTO GARDENS, and He already is. That is Joel’s legacy. And above all else…know that Joel is sitting before the throne of God…in His temple…in HIS HOUSE THAT HAS MANY MANSIONS, where he will neither hunger nor thirst no more. And that even today….right now….God is looking over and saying…well done…good and Faithful Servant.