You Are Not Insignificant / Guest Post by Kylor Wall

I have been extremely blessed to grow up in a Christian home with amazing parents and lots of cousins all around the same age, who also love Jesus. I am extremely thankful for the good friends and Godly examples in my life who have helped me navigate the ups and downs in my faith journey.

Among these, I had a phenomenal dad who I looked up to greatly. He was the most Christ-like example in my life, and hearing his stories and seeing how he led his life in the world of hockey and business is a big reason for who I am today. I was never the best player or most popular kid on my teams growing up. I have been cut from many teams and have had many people tell me I wasn’t good enough. During those tough moments, I always had one guy constantly encouraging me and keeping my spirits up - my dad. I have made it to where I am today through hard work and trusting God's calling on my life to pursue this sport, which my dad helped me to do. I am telling you this because I lost my dad in October of 2022. He passed suddenly the day after I got to South Carolina for my first full year of professional hockey.

My dad was so proud the day I signed my first pro contract. It wasn’t just my dream alone; it was ours together. What do you do when you lose your best friend and biggest mentor? It has been a difficult couple of years and I have struggled with the question of "why." I have learned to find peace and acceptance in not knowing why, but in trusting God had a specific plan for my dad's life. I believe he is in heaven according to God's promise and that we will see each other again soon. However, when my dad passed my faith was rocked. I was frustrated and confused. It was very hard.

Since October 2022, I have learned a persons impact in the world for the Kingdom of God goes further than just their time physically on earth. Generational impact was a huge priority for my dad and it gives me peace when I hear friends, family, and people I have never met talk to me about the impact my dad had on their life. For many years, I felt like I was spinning my wheels and not making an impact like my dad. It wasn’t until my second year with Tulsa (2023/2024) that I realized that what I am doing matters and is changing lives.

I began to see that the passing of my dad became an avenue that allowed me to connect with people and teammates that had similar tragedies happen at a young age. This past year, we had 14 guys attending our team Bible studies! (I have never seen that many guys at a Bible study since it was mandatory in Juniors). God allowed me to have many conversations on the bus, which in turn, provided me with the opportunity to bring four different teammates to church over the year. My approach was to be a friend and an example.

A Bible verse I hold dearly to my heart is Isaiah 49:2 "He made my mouth like a sharpened sword, in the shadow of his hand he hid me; he made me into a polished arrow and concealed me in his quiver." (NIV) I had this verse spoken over me when I was in junior high. To me, this verse speaks on the calling on my life in the world of hockey. It tells me that my time is coming and that my mouth makes a far greater impact than I realize. My wife reminds me of this a lot as it is easy to get discouraged. I was always a shy, quieter guy with people I didn't know. That is not a great recipe for a hockey player who has almost played on entirely new teams every year! To me, my personality has been a blessing, as it has allowed me to first observe my different environments, and then relate to the interests of my teammates, which has created friendships beyond the sport we play. My dad was phenomenal at creating relationships and if I can even maintain a sliver of the legacy he left behind, I will be forever grateful. I pray my future sons or daughters will continue creating that same generational impact.

I hope this short testimony impacts some young players in sports who are quieter and don’t realize how impactful they are and will become. Stay encouraged and keep believing in your calling no matter what that may look like. God can use you to make generational impact!