It's Quite Simple

I recently finished Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper, and last Sunday’s sermon was very well timed with the book’s message (coincidence, I think not). I’ve been thinking a great deal about my relationship with God and my life. It can be easy to complain about the mundane; I am working in a boring internship, slumping in baseball, and struggling to find a suitable career in the world. I turn 19 soon, I’m not going to be a child anymore, soon I’ll be an adult with a job and hopefully a family of my own. But is that it? Am I just supposed to wake up every day at 6:00 (or 5:00 if I work out), then pass out in front of the Sox game every night? Gosh I hope that’s not it, and God showed me there is so much more. You see, we are all called to a higher purpose. God has a grand plan for us, mapped out before we are born. Can you imagine that, our lives are mapped out before we were a thought in our parents’ minds! It is quite easy to deviate from that plan though, to put making money in a dead end job above doing what we truly love, to do what we are “supposed to do” instead of what we are called to do. I could easily go to law school or business school and get a 9-5 job that pays well. That is what I am supposed to do with my college degree. What I want to do, and what I can worship God best in, is to write. Writing may not be the most successful career, but God called me to it. You see, you don’t have to be a missionary, or have a NY Times bestseller to serve God, to be famous in His eyes. All you have to do is live, live ever moment for God. Live ever second of your life with the passion and love God shows to us, and reveal it to others. People always wonder what the “meaning of life is” for some reason it is the quintessential philosophic question. I think it is rather simple: we are here for God, He made us to worship Him, serve Him, and tell the world about Him. How we do it is up to our talents and gifts, but the end result is incredible no matter what you do.

Nothing to Fight For

Here are a few Sox thoughts for my first sports post in a while. The Sox-Yankees rivalry has been huge in sports, it gave you something to cheer for, an underdog to root for. When the Rays soared a few years ago it added something new to the mix. Then the O’s sunk the Sox last year… wait a minute that’s three teams, that isn’t a rivalry that’s just the Sox underperforming. The rivalry is dead because now every team is a rival. The Sox have become that bad, it’s not them and the Yankees duking it out atop the standings. It’s not the joes versus the pros; it’s not David and Goliath. The Sox have sunk so far that they fight and claw to a .500 record while the other teams continue to rise above them. I don’t think the problem with the Sox is simply that they are entitled, overpaid, or uninspiring. It’s that there is no opponent, no story line, nothing to fight for. In 2004 we trumped the Yankees in the ALCS and plowed to a WS victory. In 2007 the Yankees didn’t make the playoffs (proving once again we are the better team) and we bounced back in the ALCS en route to another WS victory (including a game 4 win by a young Jon Lester and fantastic performance by an old friend by the name of Mike Lowell). Now, well we’ve got a scrap heap of overpaid players who have no reason to fight other than to appease a rabid fan base. Winning requires more than talent, it demands the desire to win, to prove something. These Sox have nothing to prove other than that they are any worse than last year. Well at 32-34 they aren’t close to as bad as the 7-20 team last September, but that’s not an accomplishment.

It's Go Time

 For those who care… I went 1-3 today with a clutch 2 run single to break a 0-3 slump to start the season. I am now 1-5 and ready to keep rolling through the remaining 15 or so games. That’s not what this post is about though. Here’s an update on my challenge: my Bible study is going well, my prayer time is proving to be tougher though. I’ve been reading Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper. It’s a radical book, but absolutely fantastic. Like being pinch hit for or stepping on a scale it’s the kick in the butt that I really need. Life is so much more than waking up, going to work, and going to bed so we can do it all over again. My only resolution this summer (well, maybe not only but this is top priority) is to die for Christ. I want to learn to die, for to die is gain and to live is die (or something like that). My life here on earth is spent in vain if not for Jesus. This DOES NOT mean I will spend every waking moment praying or reading my Bible. How can I show God’s love if I lock myself up? No, instead I will truly change for God, I will grow closer to Him and give up the world so that I may attain peace, joy, and communion with my Creator. Everyone tells me how nice I am, well that’s ok I guess. I want more than nice though, I want to be good, I want to be a godly man. They said of Aslan (which is true of God) “safe, of course he isn’t safe, but he is good.” That’s the goal, to be dangerous for God, to reach for Him and take a stand. No passivity in faith, this summer is a time of action and repentance.

Batter Up!

I have my next game today at 5:00. Recently, whether it be due to a couple injuries or a lack of confidence, baseball games have become somewhat worrisome. “What if I strike out?” “What if I don’t do well?” As I continue this challenge and read through my Bible, the bigger fear is now “What if I lose focus, and stop living for God?” Whether I do well tonight or not I still have to get up tomorrow morning and live a life for Christ. Baseball is just a game after all, right? Today, whether I do well or not, am treated like a star or not, I will live every moment in worship of my Creator, and I will not let the fear of failure hinder the possibility for success. With that said I need to go. I have a few good post ideas I’ll write soon, let’s hope my team does better than the Sox.

No Pinch Hitters in Heaven

I was just about to go to bed, but I figured that if I didn’t write this post now (like always) I’d end up writing it in two weeks when it becomes irrelevant. Last night I had a game. I’m coming off of a couple injuries and hope to recover and play club baseball this fall, so I’m playing in a summer league to get into a rhythm. So far I’m 0-2. I struck out on 3 pitches in my first at bat, and worked the pitcher for 6 pitches before grounding out to 2^nd in my second at bat (not too bad for my second at-bat in over a year). In last night’s game I took my best round of BP in a while and felt good. I was going to get a hit, I could see it in my mind’s eye. I took a few vicious cuts in the on deck circle and studied the pitcher like I used to when I was doing well. The batter ahead of me hit a 2-out double and I stepped towards the plate. Then my coach stopped me, and put someone else to pinch-hit for me. That would have been my only at bat. I try not to take sports (or any hobby) too seriously. God is my consuming passion and I plan to keep it that way. But I was still devastated and retreated to the dugout. Why do I share this humiliating story? Because my verse this week is 1 Corinthians 10:13 “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful, He will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you can bear.” You see, when it comes to God there are no pinch hitters. Last night my coach showed a (somewhat justified) lack of faith in my abilities. I am 0-2 on the season and was unimpressive last year as well. When it comes to God though, my track record is far worse. I have an 18 year history of sin, going against God and choosing the easy or wrong way out time, and time again. But He still believes in me. God still roots for us up in Heaven and He knows we can win the battle against Satan. He knows we can get a hit for Him. God isn’t up there saying “Whoa Tay Tay, you can’t handle this. Sorry, we’re bringing someone in for you.” No, the verse makes it clear, God knows we can handle what comes out way, He believes in us, we are His star hitter and He wants us at bat. My coach may not have faith in me, but who cares? God willing I’ll be healthy enough to play baseball well into my old age, but more importantly I’m playing for His team, and He needs me at bat right now, this is my spot, no one else will do. 

The Sox' Woes Continue

I’m just going to outright say I was wrong about the Sox. I’ve given up my hopes that they have what it takes to win this year. Sure they have talent and they have plenty of fight. I’m not going to say they don’t care because they do. This is a team that doesn’t give up and throws its best out there every night; the problem is that their best isn’t good enough. I thought the O’s and Rays would fall, but the reason they are on top is because their pitching is very good. The Sox just don’t have what it takes to match up against the best. Sure they can score 3-4 runs off the best pitcher in baseball, but their pitching staff doesn’t have what it takes to shut down opposing offenses on a consistent basis. Lester and Bard’s pitching woes sunk their hopes, along with the loss of Ellsbury, Crawford, Baily, and Gonzo’s hitting prowess. I love baseball so I’ll watch every night, but I just don’t think they have what it takes to pull ahead in the AL East and fight through the playoffs to a championship win. I discounted the Celtics in the beginning of the season and they made it within one game of the Finals so who knows, maybe the Sox will win. It’s just not the same team it was in 2007 (how long ago does that feel?).