A Real All Star

Recently, I got to watch part of the Home Run Derby that preceded the Major League All-Star game.  Technically that game was played on Tuesday evening and ended early Wednesday morning.  The game went 15 innings and I’m sure most people didn’t actually see the end of the game, unless they taped it or skipped work the next day…and who would skip work to watch the All-Star game?

Somehow I have digressed from what I really wanted to write and that is the Home Run Derby.  As I said earlier, it had already started by the time I started watching it.  However, I did get to see the most dramatic part of the evening when Josh Hamilton broke the record by hitting 28 home runs in the first round.  It was incredible to watch because many of the home runs were hit a long ways into the bleachers.  Several approached 500 feet in length and the crowd was amazed at how effortless he made it look.  The announcers commented on what a great young man he was.  They also mentioned that he almost threw his entire baseball career away because of some incredibly poor choices.  Some of the major newspapers picked up on that story and I was delighted to see that the Des Moines Register had an article which highlighted the amazing turnaround in Josh’s life.  The following is a brief quote from the article:

“Ask him (Josh) what he was doing three years ago during the All-Star game and he wants you to understand.  He was probably either drunk at a bar, or searching the streets for drugs or in one of his 24 hour sleeping stupors.

He wants you to know that his addiction led to eight trips to rehab, 26 tattoos, three years away from baseball and a heart-broken family.  He wants you to see what changed when he found purpose and God…”

What I admire most about Josh is his determination to make a difference in this world, not just with his athletic ability, but with his desire to share his story.  As he said, “I pray the more successful I am, the more I hope people will listen.”

Josh wants everyone to know what a difference having a relationship with God can make in any person’s life.  He now has a purpose in life that is much bigger than hitting a baseball over a fence.  Josh realizes that God has a greater purpose for his life and he wants to share that message with anyone who will listen.

I would like to do the same thing with this article.  If you are reading this article and you don’t have a relationship with the God who can dramatically change your life, I hope you will consider inviting Him into your life.  That is the great thing about God.  He doesn’t reserve love for the famous people like Josh Hamilton.  God loves each person on this planet and He wants each of them to know that He has a purpose and a plan for their lives.  That includes you!

If Josh Hamilton suddenly decided to travel to Knoxville, I know that he would want you to surrender your life to God.  His plan is always better than our plan anyway.  Josh is living proof of that and so am I.  I shutter to think where my life would be without knowing that I am loved by this incredible, gracious God.  Josh Hamilton has experienced that in his life and because of that I consider him to be a real All-Star!

Pastor Gary Roozeboom

Celebrate Community Church

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