By Mallory Mattingly
Arsenal soccer player Gabriel Jesus hadn’t stepped on the pitch in 11 months since he tore his ACL in January.
When Jesus stepped on the pitch last week, he couldn’t help but give all the glory and praise to God.
According to Arsenal, “Our No. 9 came on in the second half in Belgium, and was immediately involved in the action, hitting the crossbar with one shot, and forcing two saves from the keeper, despite only playing half an hour.”
In a video shared on Instagram by Christlete, Jesus told the media after the match, “First of all, I want to say thank you to God. If it was not for God, I’m 100% sure I would not be here with this mentality, with this health, with this belief. In the first three months, I had a lot of doubts in my head, and then I could be more focused on what God wants from me.”
Jesus knew going into the match that people had expectations for him, but he had none for himself. He just wanted to play the game he desperately missed.
“Everyone was expecting me to score,” he told the Arsenal media team, “and obviously, I wanted to score. I had some opportunities, but even with that, I’m so happy and so pleased, because to come back and then to have some touches that I had tonight, and then the way I could move, the way I could keep the ball.
“So with 11 months of helping myself and then feeling scared to come back different, maybe with some limitations, just to walk outside and then play with the boys, I’m so pleased. I feel more than ready. So, I’m here to say God saved my life,” he added.
A day after the match, Jesus shared a photo of himself on his knees with his hands open, head bowed, and eyes closed, clearly praying to God.
“Thank you, God,” he wrote in the caption of the post.
He also included the Bible verses, Psalm 37:3-5, “Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him and he will do this.”
Jesus had a long road to recovery after he tore his ACL in January. Now, he is back on the pitch and praising God for every moment. Jesus knows that without his faith in God, he would not be the player he is today.
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