Steph Curry is often ranked as one of the greatest point guards of all time. And standing at 6’2″, the player for the Golden State Warriors is also widely regarded off the court for his deep Christian faith as well as his impressive charity works.
However, 34 years ago, Curry’s mom, Sonya, nearly came close to aborting her son. In her book, Fierce Love: A Memoir of Family, Faith, and Purpose, the mom of three explained that having already had an abortion while in high school, she found herself pregnant again.
As she was about to enter a Planned Parenthood clinic, she felt the Holy Spirit intervene, according to a report in Daily Citizen:
“God had a plan for that child. There could be no Stephen. If I would have gone through that there would have been no Wardell Stephen Curry II.”
It could also be said that God certainly had a plan for Sonya, too. Through her own experience, the basketball star’s mom has now been able to share her story with so many others, and maybe inspire them, too, in difficult life decisions.
As she shared with People, “I wrote Fierce Love to share my story, my testimony, and my experience so that others may find strength and purpose in their own journeys. I want to encourage others to pray continuously, live intentionally, love fiercely, and laugh daily.”
And thanks to her decision to follow God’s path, Sonya has blessed the basketball world with a true sporting hero, and taught him the fundamentals in life. As Curry shared: “From the beginning, my mom has been a rock of encouragement, faith, discipline, and gratitude for me and my siblings.”
This faith has been vital for Curry, and something he’s more than happy to express. In fact, on being awarded with the MVP in 2014, Curry explained the celebratory gesture he uses on the court, as shared by Christianity Today:
“I pound my chest and point to the sky, it symbolises that I have a heart for God, something that my mom and I came up with in college. I do it every time I step on the court as a reminder of who I’m playing for. People should know who I represent and why I am who I am, and that’s because of my Lord and savior.”
The dad of three also shares his love of God physically, with a tattoo on his wrists with the words from Corinthians 13:8 that say “Love never fails” in Hebrew. He also has some lace loops on his “Curry One” basketball shoes that have “4:13” on them, in reference to Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
Yet Curry is also a man who acts out his faith, and is involved in numerous charitable causes, including paying off college debts, and creating a foundation with his wife, Ayesha, that aims to end childhood hunger and provide educational opportunities and safe places for kids to play.
It is incredible that over 34 years ago his mom was a young woman on the verge of making a life-altering choice. Thankfully, she found the strength to listen to God and take a leap of faith.
And today we celebrate...