SPORTS
Marvin Andrews: Kicking the Pain Away
By Shawn Brown
The 700 Club
CBN.com
– International soccer is known as football to most -- where fancy footwork, endurance, and a nice shooting leg come together, making it the biggest spectator sport in the world. For Marvin Andrews, defender for the Raith Rovers Club of Scotland, it’s more than just a game.
“I think that God has put me in this arena as a professional footballer, where all eyes are on me -- to proclaim the Gospel. There is an opportunity to talk about the Lord Jesus Christ to millions, thousands of people who have never heard of the word "Jesus Christ." The Lord said, 'Go to all the world and preach the Good News,' says Marvin.
Marvin grew up in a Christian home. But he never gave God full control of his life.
"I knew God as I said. But I didn’t know the significance of the Bible. I was just a young boy growing up, but I know God was real. I know He is alive. So as I said, for me it was only a matter of time before God took me to where I am at this particular time.”
Marvin debuted as a footballer in 1995 with a local club in his hometown in San Juan of Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies. Three years later, he made his way to the Raith Rovers, in Scotland. It was there that his future as an athlete was almost crushed, when he developed an inflammation in his pelvis.
"There are no tablets you can take that can remove it. You have to either rest or take an operation, and let them remove the inflammation," tells Marvin.
Doctors told Marvin that he needed to have a metal plate put in his abdomen, if he was to continue his career. But, he couldn't agree to the surgery.
Marvin continued to train, and his condition got worse. Then one day, he went to church with teammate Anthony Rougier. The church’s minister, Joe Nkowye prayed for Marvin’s healing.
"I told him my problem. I was very depressed. I was very down, and he told me that the Lord Jesus Christ can heal me from this injury. I never knew that. I used to pray everyday for my healing. And then one day the pain just left me. One day I was training, and I never felt the pain any more in my abdomine. And, from that day to this day, I have never suffered from osteitus pubis.”
Marvin was amazed that God actually healed him.
“I said to myself that if the Lord Jesus Christ can do this for me, what else can He do [?], and I decided to commit myself to the Lord Jesus Christ [which was in 1999]. I was fully baptized in the water and in the Holy Spirit.”
His career began to soar. And he was eventually traded to other Scottish clubs. While with the Rangers, he suffered a major knee injury. Normally, surgery was the only course of action,
but not for Marvin.
"I told them that God would heal me. All the doctors, specialists, everybody told me that I had to take a surgery. I told them that the Lord Jesus Christ is gonna heal me,” recalls Marvin.
So once again, Marvin asked Jesus to heal him, and He did!
“I put my whole career in God’s hands, and God is the One who has me playing at this particular time. With that same injury, I was able to help take my country to the World Cup. While doctors said I’ll never play again, I was playing.”
Today Marvin is back with the Raith Rovers and continues to be a witness that with God all things are possible.
"I'm still playing. I’m still running strong because I trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. And that shows me that in all that has happened, that once you trust in God, no matter the situation, God will make a way where there is no way,” he believes.
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