The talk of the sports world over the past 48 hours has been the USA hockey team’s epic gold medal win. And for good reason. The win came in overtime of the freakin Olympics, to beat border-rival Canada. It was the greatest of games with a storybook ending. It was a moment the whole country can remember and enjoy forever.
But I missed it.
I didn’t see a second of the game.
The reason I missed it is not because I don’t care. Or because I slept in. Or I forgot to tune in to the rare Sunday morning sporting showdown.
I missed it all because I was at church.
I admit that I was checking my phone throughout the service. (I asked the Big Guy for forgiveness right away.)
By the end of the prelude, I knew the USA was up 1-0 at the end of the first period. (Praise The Lord!)
Right before the sermon, I knew that it was 1-1 at the end of the 2nd period. (Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thy stick and thy puck, they comfort me.)
I checked the ESPN app on my iPhone (tucked inside my bulletin) again during the offering (when I gave a little extra…), after the Lord’s Prayer (give us this day our winning goal…), and before the Benediction (may thy shot rise to meet the back of thy opponent’s net…)
I saw the 3rd period evaporate without a score. And I knew we were headed to overtime before I hit the narthex.
My family and I gave a hurried hello to the Pastor, then skirted by the donuts on our way to the parking lot. We piled into our SUV, turned on the radio, and before we hit the highway to heaven, we heard the breaking news that Jack Hughes hit the Golden Goal, and the USA won a battle for the ages. (Hallelujah!)
But here’s the thing: I don’t regret missing the game. Sure, I would have enjoyed watching it live with the rest of northern North America. But I have always taken pleasure in missing out on big things because I was doing something else important.
It’s what I call POMO. Or Proud Of Missing Out. It’s the feeling you get when you miss out on something big because you are proud to be doing something important to you instead.
I like to go to church as often as I can. And I put special emphasis on church attendance during both Advent (the month leading up to Christmas) and Lent (the month-ish leading up to Easter).
I love the sacrifices and tradeoffs that a highly valued life of accomplishment, dedication and success requires. I appreciate that I have things that I value even more than the highly valued things that the rest of the world highly values.
I like being up when the rest of the world has permission to sleep in. I enjoy the work I have to do on vacation because of an exciting time-bound opportunity. I enjoy RSVPing No to things I would like to say Yes to, because I have another thing I want to say Yes to even more. I relish the times I don’t attend a mandatory event, because I have something even more mandatory to me. (Like the time I missed my college graduation from the University of Wisconsin because I was competing in the Big Ten Track & Field Championships at Penn State. Which we won!)
While I still remember watching The Miracle On Ice as a small boy back in 1980, and feeling as if it was the biggest, most important sporting event win of all time, I will remember the 2026 Hockey Gold Medal game for being in church on Sunday morning, with my family, at the beginning of Lent, and getting updates through my little telephonic buddy. And I was proud to be there.
Key Takeaway
Enjoy your moments of POMO. Embrace the things that you can’t do because you have other priorities. Take pride in the sacrifices you make to maintain the habits you have built. Enjoy your commitments and values, and the things they sometimes cost you. These are the things that set you apart. And the things that set you up for long-term success, happiness and fulfillment.
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Adam Albrecht Blog 