I remember heading to my next door neighbor's house where my best friend lived trying to collect whatever savings I had and begging the parents for money to watch the pay-per-view event of Wrestle-Mania and/or Royal Rumble! Even with scripted story lines, men not wearing enough clothes, there was something about it that attracted and still attracts people.
It wasn't later in my studies of the Scriptures that I discovered a possible answer to why I was/still am driven to wrestling: It is because I wrestle with God constantly! January has been a time for me to go around to various parishes and schools to share my vocation story and discernment towards the priesthood with people of all ages from 2nd graders to adults. When ever I share my vocation story of how I entered the seminary, I usually turn to the passage of Jacob in the Old Testament. In that story, I believe it reveals the real beauty in coming to one's vocation, which includes married life, religious life, priesthood, and the single life through wrestling with God!
Jacob's story is unique. First we need to understand the importance of Jacob's life. Jacob is seen as one of the great patriarch's of the Jewish Faith. Constantly the scriptures refer to God with reference to Jacob (the reference usually God introducing himself as the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob). Second, his story doesn't seem quite holy or saintly. Jacob's very name means trickster or one who grabs the heal. Jacob was a twin, but his brother Esau was born first. This guaranteed Esau a birth rite (twice the inheritance) and a Blessing given to him by his father right before he passes. Jacob gets his brother Esau to sell his birth rite, and then later Jacob tricks his father, Isaac to give him Esau's blessing! Not fair I know, but Jacob will later be tricked not only by his Father-in-law, but his own children.
Jacob now has a problem after stealing Esau's blessing. Esau is described as a very strong man and hunter, while Jacob remained in the tent and cooked with his mom. The Scripture directly calls Jacob a momma's boy. Well after stealing Esau's blessing, Jacob runs from his father's land only to discover Rachel, a woman he desired to marry. Jacob after working 7 years for Rachel's hand in marriage is tricked by his father-in-law and Jacob marries Leah, Rachel's older sister. Jacob serves an additional 7 years to earn Rachel's hand in marriage. Eventually Jacob will have 12 sons with 4 different women (talk about drama in the house of Jacob).
To make a long story short; after Jacob has started a large family 11 sons at the time, he's kicked out of his father-in-law's land, and is forced to face his stronger brother Esau. You can only imagine what's going through Jacob's mind, let alone questioning God's plan for his life. This is where the story gets interesting. In chapter Genesis 32, at night Jacob sends his family, servants, and flock to the other side of the river. The Scripture is clear, Jacob is ALONE! But wait...right after it says that he is alone, Jacob starts wrestling with someone. Confusing right? Is he alone or not? As we continue to read the story we discover he is wrestling with God!
If that isn't crazy enough, Jacob has the God in a head lock for most of the night. I can now imagine because of my love for WWF and the various wrestling matches between Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior, I can see all the kidney shots, elbows, kicks, and pushing that was involved that night. But Jacob is relentless, he will not let go! (not quite the momma's boy now). Even though Jacob is control for most of the night, God pulls a reversal: "he touched the hollow of his thigh; and Jacob's thigh was put out of joint as he wrestled him" (Gen 32:25). Jacob now realizes who he is wrestling with and who's really in control. Jacob asks God for His blessing and he receives a new name Israel, which means "May God Prevail."
What an amazing story of discernment, which involves wrestling with God! The story speaks right into my own life and how I've wrestled (and continue to wrestle) with God. Like the story of Jacob, the Lord allows me to maintain control of the wrestling. I keep The Lord in the head lock and I make the decisions of my life. It was the one who decided to go college for an engineering degree. It was I who decided that I would do missionary work for the Catholic Church with FOCUS. But like the story of Jacob, the Lord pierced my side with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. No longer was I in control of my decisions, my life, or even if my chemo would have any affects on the cancer. All I could do was let go of the headlock and say the prayer: Israel - May God Prevail!
This story of wrestling is not just a story of Jacob, or me, but a story for all of humanity. We all wrestle with God in someway or another. We all take control over our lives and dictate the direction by our own desires and wants. But what is certain in all of life is the Lord will come into our lives and pull a reversal move and reveal who is ultimately in control. Let us instead of resisting the Lord in our lives, let us work on making our life a complete surrender to Him! Israel: May God Prevail!
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