This is an opinion piece.

Before you read any further, I have to be honest with you.

This week’s column doesn’t necessarily revolve around high school sports.

It’s more about life in general.

On Thursday, I attended a celebration of life for Michael Curtis “Soy” Taylor in Grand Bay. Soy – nicknamed that for his love of Soy Sauce – was fatally wounded in a robbery attempt in Guatemala on Sept. 30. He lived there with his wife, Deidra, and their three children doing missions work.

I don’t think I ever met Soy. That saddens me. My wife has known his wife and her family for most of her adult life and has known Soy since he and Deidra started dating.

Soy’s father-in-law, the Rev. Teddy Turrentine, married us. Teddy and I have remained close since then, mostly through his love of sports – especially University of Alabama sports – and, of course, our brotherhood in the Kingdom.

I still smile when I think back to our wedding day as Teddy – knowing I was an Auburn graduate and that four of my five groomsmen bleed blue and orange – quoted Nick Saban in comparing marriage to “a process.” I laughed. My groomsmen bristled a bit. It was all good fun.

On Thursday, Teddy spoke eloquently and humorously at times — as is his nature – about his son-in-law. Deidra, showing courage I only hope I could muster in such a time, spoke bravely about the husband, father and mission-minded, God-loving person Soy was.

A couple of things hit me during the service:

1. There were a million pictures of Soy. He was smiling in all of them. That is the image the people who knew him will have for the rest of their lives. Everyone who spoke on Thursday said as much. In the business of life – with all its hurdles and complications – it’s not always easy to have that ‘Soy attitude.’ We should all try harder.

To quote a song by the Sidewalk Prophets:

“There’s always a reason to always choose joy

There is something deeper that the world can’t destroy

Smile, when you think you can’t

Smile, get up and dance

Smile, there’s a bigger plan

The storm only lasts for a while.”

2. It was easy to see how many people God impacted through Soy in Soy’s short time on earth. Friendship Baptist was filled to capacity on Thursday. It was the same way Sunday night and Wednesday night for other services in his honor.

Who knows how many people from other states and from Guatemala watched either or all services online. His impact was great and covered multiple countries. Heck, Soy’s life has now impacted mine, and I really didn’t know him.

When I speak to different high school teams or other groups, I always try to impress on them that they are impacting the people around them whether they know it or not. It is their choice whether they want it to have a positive or negative impact on those around them.

What do you want your impact to be?

Life on earth is short. We aren’t guaranteed the next day or the next minute for that matter. How are we going to use whatever time we have left?

Deidra Taylor and her daughters know how they will use it.

They have said they will go back to Guatemala when the time is right and continue to serve there with the support of their family, friends, partner churches and others. Can you imagine the courage, more importantly the faith, that takes?

It won’t be easy. Then again, we were promised it wouldn’t be.

If you are a football player or a coach, you will be challenged on this very night.

As parents, we are challenged everyday.

We can’t even be sure of what is going on in the world today. Chaos is seemingly all around.

But we can be sure of this: There is a bigger plan.

And there is always a reason to choose Joy.

That’s what Soy Taylor did.

Will you follow his lead?

Thought for the Week

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” – John 16:33

Ben Thomas is the high school sportswriter at AL.com. He has been named one of the 50 legends of the Alabama Sports Writers Association. Follow him on twitter at @BenThomasPreps or email him at [email protected]. He can be heard weekly on “Inside High School Sports” on SportsTalk 99.5 FM in Mobile or on the free IHeart Radio App at 2 p.m. Wednesdays.