Gateway Church Australia
Take 3 with the Abletts
Good morning all and welcome to this episode of Take 3 and we're so excited today to welcome the ablets and we're so honoured that they would choose to just sit here and talk with us today. Take 3 is about bringing out these people bringing three songs that are impactful for them in their life journey and we're gonna listen to the music we're going to talk about why that music has influenced their life so for those of you that have lived under a rock all of your life let me introduce Gary Ablet who is a former AFL player played for Jellong for many years and for the Gold Coast sons one of the best players ever and his beautiful wife Jordan he's better half they've been married for nine years and Jordan Gary have three beautiful children and believe it or not Jordan and us is just grew up at Gateway and both of them are really amazing supporters of the Gateway Children's Fund for which we are so grateful but let me start with this question Gary how did you two get together and why can I take a lot of credit for it well first thing last it's nice to be here I don't know if I can give you any credit it was that it was actually Michael painter that you're sorry I bet King you go think so a little bit of credit but it was actually Michael that introduced us I've known Michael for a long time and Michael was actually touring on the Gold Coast and we called up and Michael told me about Jordan so I know this lovely girl I won't give you too much more but from there we all go nice to catch up and the rest is they say yes which is which is so beautiful and I think you married way way above your station Gary early years of your career what would you say was your main focus yeah I think when I started out mass as a 17 year old I was drafted to the cats and my dream all through my teenage years was was to play football at the top level I was fortunate enough to do that at a very young age and I can still remember getting to the football club and my very first goal was just to play one senior game you know I said to myself if I can play one senior game no one can take that away from me at least I can tell people I played at the top level and I think from there you know the more time that I spent at the football club it was it was all about having on field success so for me it was about you know achieving everything that that that I guess I'd set out to achieve at an individual level but also the ultimate goal was to win permissions you know that's that's why we're at the football club and so early days everything went into that you know it was it was 40 footy footy yeah and I didn't have a lot of time for anything else so I'd imagine this this is really the standard life of an elite sports person it was it was it was and it was it was very time consuming like most full-time jobs but I would spend extra time in at the football club but in there at you know 12 o'clock at night sometimes doing ice baths and you know for me I think it was it was because I believed that if I could achieve all I wanted to achieve that was really going to change my life yeah and it wasn't until we actually won our first premiership in in 2007 I can remember the week after that was great we got to celebrate it you know the teammates and everyone involved in the football club but I still felt empty yeah we'll come back to that but let's your first major injury was in 2014 shoulder injury yeah and you're out for 18 months so how did that change you when you're out of that that elite environment for that length of time well up until that stage I'd never experienced a long-term injury so I went through the first 13 14 years of my career you know I missed some games through soft tissue injuries but but nothing that kept me out of the game for for an extended period of time and I think when that happened last firstly to help me to be able to really relate to you know other players that had gone through long-term injuries but also for me it was a time where I started to think about life outside of football you talk about identity and I think up until that point all I knew was Gary the football and if I'm to be completely honest when I was playing good football I felt good about myself but when I wasn't performing so well it was probably reflecting a little bit on me as a person or I felt that way anyway and so for those 18 months I started to think about life after football you know who is going without football and I think that was really important for me and it helped me to enjoy you know the last five or six years of my career and really shift my focus to to investing into people you know this sort of plays into the first song that my guys have chosen and it's a great song by casting crowns called "Only Jesus" so let's listen to this song make you count, leave a mark, build a name for yourself, dream your dreams, change your heart above all else make a name the world remembers but all an empty world can sell his empty dreams I got lost in the light but it was up to me to make a name the world remembers but Jesus is the only name to remember and I don't want to leave the legacy I don't care if they remember me, only Jesus and I, I've only got one life to live I'll let every second point to him, only Jesus All the kingdoms built, all the trophies won will crumble into dust when it's set in down 'Cause all that really mattered Did I live the truth to the ones I love? Was my life the proof that there is only one whose name will last forever and I, I don't want to leave the legacy I don't care if they remember me, only Jesus and I, I've only got one life to live I'll let every second point to him, only Jesus Gary right at the end of that clip that we saw you can see him pulling a box of trophies out of his car which he goes to throw on the garbage double which I'm sure is really meaningful for you you've, you've, you said before that you had your first premiership and that changed you, can you, can you tell us about that and how it relates to that song you've chosen? Yeah, I, I just, I remember a couple of weeks after sitting back in at the football club and they were handing out the pre-season programs and me just thinking, I thought there was going to be more to this you know, this is, this is what I've set out to achieve is, you know, this, you know, my dream had always been to play at the top level and then since being at the football club is a 17 year old there's, everything has just gone into achieving this one goal and don't get me wrong, you know, it, it was special and I've, I've built so many great, you know, relationships and, you know, it's something that I can reflect back on now all the hard work that's gone into it, but it didn't change my life like I was thought, I thought it was going to and I just think that it was a reminder that I really needed to be focusing on the things that matter and that's people, the relationships around me and, and to make sure that I was really enjoying the journey and I think sometimes we can all think, think about the destination of where we're trying to get to but I think after that I started to approach things a little differently and I really started to enjoy the journey, you know, that every day of turning up to the football club and, and, you know, the people that I got to interact with and spend quality time with and make sure that I was investing into them so I, I think I, I probably needed that at that time to realise that, you know, winning a premiership wasn't going to change my life like I thought it was going to so only Jesus, Gary, the lyrics of this where is Jesus for you in this time? well, well people are important to Jesus, you know, that they are the most important thing to him so I think he was, he was, he was obviously teaching me a lot through those times and I think sometimes, you know, we're all on this journey and, you know, we've got to learn things and the part that I, with the lyrics that I really love in the song is the bit where it says all the kingdoms built, all the trophies won, we'll crumble into dust when it's said and done 'cause all that really mattered, did I leave the truth to the ones I love? was my life the proof that there was only one whose name will last forever and I just think it's a great perspective, it's really important to have that eternal perspective and remember that everything we do, it's about God's story and we get to play a part in that and I'm just so thankful, masked for the platform that I've been given you know, to be able to make a difference and share the good news of Jesus and, you know, at the end of the day that's what it's about Jordan, is there anything extra you wanted to add about that song? Yeah, I would say that the lyrics that Gazz just read out that he really loves is genuinely something that he lives every day authentically and I think that God has placed with him such a desire for people and particularly for people to come to know him and we often have conversations all the time about just the legacy that we're, you know, we're leaving for our children and what kind of legacy do we want that to be? And I think, yeah, like as we often talk about your memorabilia and me being so sentimental, I think about, well, what if our kids want that one day but you just hold those things so loosely and say, well, at the end of the day, you know, God's exactly what you just said, you've been given a platform not to hoard trophies and things like that but instead to really, you know, share the news of Jesus and I think you do that with our kids and they're going to grow up to know that, you know, their dad who you are as a person and not what you did on football field and I love that. That's really beautiful. So moving on with your story, you get married, you're moving up to the Gold Coast because you've joined the Gold Coast songs and you've got three years before your first bug comes along, you're living, you know, a lovely life on the Gold Coast but it's hard because you're a missing family with your sisters and your mum and dad. So life is good but then you are confronted with several devastating life altering circumstances. So, Jordan, let's talk about Levi first. Now, Levi is your firstborn, beautiful boy and as he's growing you, at what age did you start to notice there was something that wasn't? I think it was around, it was probably around six months because that tends to be the age where babies can sit by themselves and hold their head up and so for a big sort of chunk of that time we were just noticing that he had really poor head control and that he hadn't done any rolling or wasn't initiating to sit up by himself. So we definitely realised, we definitely knew that he was delayed but we never thought maybe that there was an underlying concern. So at what age are you then sort of tagging into doctors to get this checked out? Well, from about six months until he was one we were always bringing our concerns to doctors, pediatricians and things like that. So we had the concern but we were always reassured that babies develop in their own time. And then it was at one when he was still unable to progress in his solids. He still couldn't sit by himself independently, he couldn't hold his head up. Still wasn't rolling and he just wasn't holding things. It was very clear to us that there was more to it. And I, for his first maternal health nurse, sorry, first birthday maternal health check, I met a new nurse and she was just really concerned by everything that I had shared with her and she was confident that there was something happening and that early intervention needed to begin here. So he was diagnosed with, sorry, he was diagnosed maybe five months later. Yeah, okay. And he was diagnosed with a red degenerative disease. Yeah, wow. So Gary, as the first time there, this is your firstborn son, what is your instinct as a dad at that point? I think the day that we got the diagnosis, for me it was just, I can still remember having the conversation with the doctors and just saying, tell me what I need to do to fix it. And I think for such a long time, especially when in the free world, for me it was always about coming up with solutions. How can I fix something if I'm not doing something well and I remember the words that the doctor said to me was, "Gary, I need you to understand this is serious." And it's not necessarily something that you can fix. We'll obviously talk through what Levi's life could look like. And I think it was just so many emotions. I mean, we didn't have many words to kind of say to each other. I think we were just taking it all in. And I did think a little bit about what is that going to mean for us in the future. But I think as time went on, my perspective started to change. For us, it was more about giving Levi the best life that we possibly could. And it was just working closely with the doctors and the specialists to get a better understanding of what the future was going to look like for us. How can we best support Levi? How can we best support each other? And it has been a journey, but at the same time, you know, I feel like we've learnt so many lessons through it. So if this situation is not hard enough for a young family, I would imagine at a time like that, you know, your extended family, you need them around you together around. And you are then given the terrible news that your mum, Trudy, is diagnosed with lung cancer. So Jordan, where is your soul at? Can you take yourself back there? Where is your soul at at that time? Well, mum was actually diagnosed with cancer at the end of 2018. So for the majority of 2019, it was all about treatment. And we had some really good months with mum where she felt well. And she was on top of things. Then there were setbacks in the treatment. And then that was around the time of noticing that there was some serious developmental delays with Levi. So it's all all coming in at the same time. And then come 2020, which is Levi's first year, Codeburg. And mum's health, that was around the time that mum had been sent home from hospital under palliative care. So that day that we received the diagnosis was just a memorable day because it's so ingrained in my mind as just feeling like the rug had just been totally brought out from underneath. And I had no control over anything in my life. And my mum, who is literally everything to me. And then now my son, it was just a really overwhelming day. Yep. Let's listen to your second song, Jordy. It's another one by Casting Crowns and it's called "Scars in Heaven." ♪ ♪ If I had only known the last time would be the last time ♪ ♪ I would have put off all the things I had to do ♪ ♪ I would have stayed a little longer, held on a little tighter ♪ ♪ Now what I'd give for one more day with you ♪ ♪ 'Cause there's a wound here in my heart where something's missing ♪ ♪ And they tell me that it's gonna heal with time ♪ ♪ But I know you're in a place where all your wounds have been erased ♪ ♪ And knowing yours or heal is healing mine ♪ ♪ The only scars in heaven ♪ ♪ It won't belong to me and you ♪ ♪ There'll be no such thing as broken ♪ ♪ And all the old will be made new ♪ ♪ And the thought that makes me smile now ♪ ♪ Even as the tears fall down ♪ ♪ 'Cause that the only scars in heaven ♪ ♪ Are on the hands that hold you now ♪ ♪ I know the road you walked was anything but easy ♪ ♪ You picked up your share of scars along the way ♪ ♪ But now you're standing in the sun ♪ ♪ You fought your fight and your races run ♪ ♪ The pain is all a million miles away ♪ ♪ The only scars in heaven ♪ ♪ It won't belong to me and you ♪ ♪ There'll be no such thing as broken ♪ ♪ And all the old will be made new ♪ ♪ And the thought that makes me smile now ♪ ♪ Even as the tears fall down ♪ ♪ 'Cause that the only scars in heaven ♪ ♪ Are on the hands that hold you now ♪ - Such a beautiful song, Jordan. Why is this song so precious to you? - I discovered this song just after mum passed away and I was driving in the car and I heard it on the radio and it's probably, it just totally encapsulated everything that I was feeling, it brought me a lot of comfort but also just that perspective of knowing that although it's so hard and painful that mum is, you know, in the presence of Jesus and that the only scars in heaven are all the ones that hold her and, you know, my sisters and I and Michael, Garza and Benny had the privilege of serving mum in her final months when she was so unwell and she really did suffer. And so to have that reminder that, you know, she is with Jesus and that there's no more pain, no more tears, but, yeah, it just, and previously growing up dancing and things like that, like I just feel so drawn to music as a way to kind of express how I'm feeling and, yeah, I just felt like I was being held listening to that song. - Jordan, one of the things I love about what you've just said is that you could have been so involved with your own pain and your own needs and your mum's not here to help me with Levi but true love is to want the best for the one that you love and I'm sure that was like a release for you to say, well, this is best for mum because she's now out of pain and that's what true love is. And I think that's probably, you know, knowing your mum because she was a friend of mine as well. - Yeah. - What legacy do you think she left you? - It's a big question. - A big, big question. I think just her hunger for truth in this world, she just lived so authentically and, you know, just those lyrics of... I know the road you walked was anything that easy. You picked up your share of scars along the way but now you're standing in the sun, you're fortified. And your race is run. I think that was her legacy and I think that it's actually quipped us in our circumstances with Levi. And I know that although it pains me that mum's not here to help us with Levi, I know it pains her even more, that she wouldn't be around. But I also remember her telling me that I'm so capable and so strong and, you know, as long as we keep coming back to God, you know, and just laying it at his feet, you know, and I think that was her legacy. So beautiful. - I think the way that she generally cared for the people that are there as well, the example that she said in that area. - Yeah. - And we try and remind each other every day, don't we? You know, when we get up, today's a blessing. Let's just take it one day at a time. Let's invest into the people around us and just be available to be used by God. And let's finish our race off. We know that we're going to see her again one day and, you know, it doesn't make it easy some days but it helps having that eternal perspective. - Yeah, beautiful. - Gary, do you think knowing truly changed the way that you parent your children? - I wouldn't say it necessarily changed but I think the example that she left in the way that she raised three beautiful girls and I just mentioned it, you know, about her prioritising people and prioritising the right things, the things that matter to God. And so I think that really taught me a lot, you know, for my kids I want to make sure that I'm present, I'm available. You know, we need to make sure that we're setting the right example for them and always pointing them to Jesus. And we speak about that every day as well and remind each other, you know, what this life's about. And we're just so blessed, you know, to get to race three beautiful girls that we know, sorry, three beautiful kids, I should say, that we know God loves so much. - Yeah, it's beautiful. Well, we have a third song and this is a song by Phil Wickham called "The Battle Belongs". So let's watch some of this. ♪ ♪ When all I see is the battle ♪ ♪ You see my victory ♪ ♪ When all I see is the mountain ♪ ♪ You see your mountain moved ♪ ♪ And as I walk through the shadow ♪ ♪ Your love surrounds me ♪ ♪ ♪ There's nothing to fear now ♪ ♪ For I am safe for you ♪ ♪ So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees ♪ ♪ With my heads lifted high ♪ ♪ Oh God, the battle belongs to you ♪ ♪ In every fear I lay on your feet ♪ ♪ I'll sing through the night ♪ ♪ Oh God, the battle belongs to you ♪ ♪ ♪ And if you are for me ♪ ♪ Who can be against me ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ For Jesus, there's nothing impossible for you ♪ ♪ When all I see are the actions ♪ ♪ If you see the beyond ♪ ♪ Take you guys ♪ ♪ When all I see is the cross ♪ ♪ God, you see the edge itself ♪ ♪ So when I fight, I'll fight on my knees ♪ ♪ With my heads lifted high ♪ ♪ Oh God, the battle belongs to you ♪ ♪ In every fear I lay on your feet ♪ ♪ I'll sing through the night ♪ ♪ Oh God, the battle belongs to you ♪ - Jordan, I just love that song. Why did you choose it, apart from it being a banger? - It's just so good. We just, both of us just love it so much, and just the idea of letting go and, you know, the battle being gods at the end of the day. And I think particularly with, you know, our circumstances and Levi in particular, sorry. You know, it's not our job to fix it. And I know that you know that too. But instead just allowing God to do, to work through Levi's life, to work through our circumstances. And all our job is to embrace it, to give it to God, to fight on our knees in prayer and just trusting Him. - Yeah, so I know that so many prayers would have gone up from you two and from those who love you for Levi's diagnosis and future and for your mum. And neither of those have turned out the way that many people would say they would have wanted it to turn out. How do you as followers have crossed? Where does your soul go? How do you come to terms with the way God has answered and is continuing to answer those prayers? - I think reminding each other of God's character and who He says He is, He is a good God. And we can either choose to believe that or not in all circumstances. And I think that when we feel prayers aren't being answered, we know that God is turning off things for good. And I believe that with all my heart. And I know also that our time on this earth is short. And I think it's important to remind ourselves of that. You know, we're here one day and we're gone the next. And we're just so incredibly blessed, you know, to play a part in God's story. And yeah, I just, I think, as I said, reminding each other of that and just supporting each other on the journey. But that doesn't make it easy. It doesn't make it easy. We're all on a journey. And I think that's why it's so important that we all encourage each other on that and why, you know, fellowship and getting around each other, you know, is so important to God. And to have friends that are close to you that allow the lament, I think is important. I'm sure you've had people like that. You don't have to pretend it's frozen. There's a lament that goes up to God and He hears. And can I just say that as well? Sorry, George. You know, and I know Jordan touched on it about us learning to give up control. I know for a really big part of my life, you know, especially through the early part of my fully career, I believed that I could do everything in my own strength. And it wasn't until we've experienced, you know, some of these heartache and everything we've been through, especially over, you know, the last six or seven years, that I felt like all I could do was drop to my knees and say, "God, I need you." And I think that's why God wants us out, you know, that we need to come to realize that this life is difficult and God wants to do that journey with us. And as difficult as it's been, there's just, there's been a lot of positives in it as well because I feel like my relationship with God and our relationship with God, I've never felt closer. And so, as I said, it's just that, you know, I feel it's just about trusting in that and reminding ourselves and his character that he is a good God that he cares about us and that he is in all circumstances. And I believe that when we do lead this Earth, we will understand why we went through the things that we did and that God always, always had our best interest at heart. And I had two things on that as well, but I just also remember mom teaching our skills that, you know, it's actually okay to wrestle with God about things, like it doesn't. It's not that you pray for something and you get that. And, you know, when you don't, you just accept that. You know, it's actually having that authentic relationship with Jesus where you actually wrestle. You let God know that you are hurting, that you are struggling. But as Gads said, ultimately, he has the bigger picture. He knows the bigger picture. And also what Gads just said about, there's been a lot of positives, like if we just look at Levi alone, the joy that comes through him and just the reach that we have now to those who are also hurting and us sharing where we draw our hope and strength from. You know, I love the lyrics in this song about, when all I see, the ashes, you see the beauty, you shine in the shadow. And I just think that that is so Levi. And God's love shines through Levi. Yeah, there's just so, yeah. There'll be people who will listen to this, George and Gads, that really need to hear what you've just said. What would you say has been and continues to be the legacy of Levi in your lives? What's the main thing that you feel God's taught you through? I would say in it, and I know we would say this too, is that he's taught us to be more Christ-like. He's actually made us. He's instilling within us those fruits of the spirit. Patience. And, yeah, patience, love, and not just worldly love, but that unconditional love, serving someone who can't give you anything back, love, the way Jesus did. And, yeah, he teaches us a lot. And it's amazing because he's never spoken a single word, yet the lessons that he's taught us, he's an amazing teacher, Levi. I just wanted to finish with an encouragement to you both, because you would know the story in John where the night before Jesus died, he gave an example to his disciples, where he just tied a towel around his waist and he knelt down and he washed the feet of his disciples, which was something that was only done by servants. But Jesus says our king and our master knelt down and did that for each other. And he says in John, "If I, the master, have washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. What I've done, you do. This is how you live a blessed life." And I think Levi is teaching you what a blessed life really looks like. So, Jordan, Gary, I thank you so much, and we are praying great influence for you both. As you said, I think you're already realizing that God has positioned you for such a time since. And I'm praying that the platform that he's giving you will be a powerful thing for people that need to hear about the love of God in hard times. So, we love you both. And they actually had four songs, and I told them they could own the three. But as we go out, we're going to finish with a sneaky little bit of their fourth song, which is called "Joy in the Morning" by Elevation. ♪ Giving in to your feelings is like drowning in the shadows ♪ ♪ Oh, you've got to keep believing in the middle of the unknown ♪ ♪ 'Cause grace will be there when you come to the end of your own ♪ ♪ And you let go ♪ ♪ It may feel like you're going down now ♪ ♪ But the story isn't over ♪ ♪ There will be joy in the morning ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ There will be joy in the morning ♪ ♪ Whoo ♪ ♪ If it's not good then it's not done ♪ ♪ No, it's not done with the end ♪ ♪ There will be joy in the morning ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ If it's not good then it's not done ♪ ♪ No, it's not done with the end ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ If it's not good then it's not done ♪ ♪ No, it's not done with the end ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ If it's not good then it's not done ♪ ♪ No, it's not done with the end ♪ ♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ If it's not good then it's not done ♪ ♪ No, it's not done with the end ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ ♪ Oh ♪ (gentle piano music) [BLANK_AUDIO]