You Can Do All Things

5-22-2009

I was blessed to play pro baseball for a short stint, and I’ll never forget one of my most memorable moments. Here’s the odd thing, it had nothing to do with baseball! I was sitting in the bullpen during a game at LaGrave Stadium, it was about the 7th inning, and the game was getting close. The bullpen was down the right field line, and the fans were right on top of the players. For those of you that don’t know a whole lot about baseball, the bullpen is where the pitchers sit during a game. The other players stay in the dugout. I was a closer my rookie year, so it was about my time to start getting loose. During the game I noticed a family sitting in the front row, and they had their little girl with them. She was probably around 6-8 years old, and I couldn’t help but notice her starting at me, and here’s how the conversation went:

Me: “What’s your name?”
Her: “Your name isn’t Phil.”
Me: “You are exactly right. Who said my name was Phil?”
Her: “Your hat says Phil on it. Are you wearing someone else’s hat?”
Me: “No, this is my hat. My hat says Phil 4:13 to remind me of the strength I have from Jesus Christ. Philippians 4:13 is a bible verse that says, “I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” I write this on my hat to remind that I am nothing on my own separate from Jesus.”
Her: “Cool!”

I wish I had made contact with her family that evening, but about ten seconds later, they called for me to get loose, so I had to stop the conversation. The amazing thing is I don’t remember anything else about that game. I don’t remember if they ever called me in to pitch or not. All I know is that little girl heard the message of Christ as a result of the writing “Phil 4:13” under the bill of my hat. I’ll never forget that moment, and it constantly reminds me that you never know whose watching. Each and every one of us makes an impact in people’s lives whether we know it or not. This statement is magnified when dealing with kids. Make sure the things of this world don’t distract you from what really matters. For those of you that have the opportunity to make an impact in a kid’s life, I pray you will do everything in your power to surround them with the love and message of Jesus Christ. If you don’t know exactly what to say or how to say it, relax, because the best way to do so rarely takes words! Model what Christ wants you to model and your kids will do what you do.

Application:
1. Read Philippians 4:10-13
2. Tell a child about Christ, and sometimes use words!