I watched a documentary on the life of Josh Hamilton, a young man who plays professional baseball for the Texas Rangers. His is a compelling story. He was a young phenomenon who let his life spiral down into the heavy use of drugs and alcohol. He was suspended from baseball for using drugs. His wife kicked him out, his parents cut him off completely and he became more and more addicted to heroin.

Finally the day came when the Lord reached him through the words of his grandmother. While Josh lay in a hospital bed recovering from a near fatal heroin overdose, she told him that, “The Lord must really love baseball players. That’s the only reason I can think of that you’re not dead. The Lord loves baseball players and He’s seen fit to spare you.”

Josh had hit bottom and he began the difficult task of kicking drugs. He got back together with his wife and stayed on the straight and narrow. Months later he took out an ad in the St. Petersburg, FL newspaper, which said that he was Josh Hamilton and he really wanted to get back into baseball in some capacity and stop rotting away doing nothing. He asked if anybody had an opening. It just so happened that a certain man picked up that newspaper and read the article. He instantly felt that the article had been written to him personally. This man managed a minor league team in Florida and called Josh and offered him a job with their team.

The job was as a janitor. Josh accepted the job. He was not even allowed out on the field until he could prove that he was committed and serious about maintaining his sobriety. Josh worked 3 months cleaning toilets and showers, sweeping floors, etc. After those 3 months his boss final let him step out onto the playing field. A few months later, he was allowed to take batting practice. In that first session, he was hitting balls out of the park, literally. The manager remembers saying under his breath, “What the heck is this guy doing here.”

Well, obviously, he was there because that’s where God had led him. It wasn’t long until the pro scouts found him and he was given a contract by the Cincinnati Reds. His story touched many and when he came to the plate for his first professional at bat, 50,000 people stood and applauded him, before he even took a pitch. He popped out to right field, but he ran back to the dugout with a grin from ear to ear.

Last year, Josh played for the Rangers and had already accumulated 95 RBI’s by the All Star break. Most players would be thrilled to have 95 RBI’s in an entire season. Josh had accomplished it by the half way point. He was the main attraction at the All Star Home Run Derby, held at Yankee Stadium, last year. Josh hit 28 home runs in the first round, 14 more than his closest competitor. By the end, he had once again inspired tens of thousands of fans to stand and cheer his victory, not in baseball, but in life. They chanted “HAM-IL-TON!” over and over. His victory was also their victory. If he could overcome great adversity, anyone could. God really does love baseball players.

Adversity does not avoid the rich, the famous, the beautiful or the talented, but the good news is, neither does God. He doesn’t avoid the rich, the poor, the famous, the common, the beautiful or the plain. God is there to lead all out of the valleys they have fallen into. God does love baseball players, and carpenters and housewives and secretaries and business men and women and social workers and medical professionals and……. We truly serve a loving, awesome God.

Blessings!

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