Living the Dream

(This blog was written by Rob Patrick, Associate Groups Pastor)

It’s the bottom of the ninth, bases loaded, two outs, and the rookie who represents the game winning run comes to the plate for his first Major League at bat. You know the rest of the story, right? He hits a home run and is the hero of the game. Yes, just like many of you, I love baseball, and as a child I used to have a dream like that. Wow, you get to play baseball or any other professional sport and get paid to do it. But like most of you, that dream for me was never realized. As a matter of fact, I never even got to play Little League or high school ball.

I was born and raised in a small rural Appalachian area near Castlewood, VA, and when I was about five years old I remember my mom telling me about the day when I was born. I’ll never forget it, mostly because she would tell it to me multiple times well into my adult life. She told me that when I was born she gave me to God for His purposes. She always told me that one day I would be a preacher or pastor. I would always tell her “I don’t know about all that”, but I have to say that a little bit of me thought it could happen, probably because more than anything, my mom had said it. My mom loved the Lord and she had an unusual way of knowing what was going to happen sometimes, just like many moms do.

Fast forward a few years, it is 1984 and I am now living and working in Kansas City. I was already a big fan of the Kansas City Royals Major League baseball team and my company had multiple sets of season tickets. So, needless to say, I got to go to a lot of games between 1984 and 1986 while I worked there. I was also living there when the Royals won their last World Series in 1985 (it may have been their only one, until maybe next year). I also got to sit behind my hero, George Brett, when he played 3rd base. Wow, I am finally living the dream, right? Well, at the time it sure seemed like it.

It is now 2011 and I have been living and working here in Knoxville, TN since 1986. As I have gotten older, and I have begun to realize that many baseball players these days have forgotten that they get paid a lot of money to play ball. Strikes, negotiations, arbitrations and whining complaining prima donnas have almost spoiled the game. Many have forgotten how to have fun and enjoy their God-given talent. Many have forgotten that because of their abilities and opportunities in life, they provide a source of entertainment and fun for those of us who loved the game and weren’t so blessed.

So, did I miss my dream? Well, someone asked me recently how I liked my new job here at Faith Promise as an Associate Groups Pastor. I told them that I was “Living the Dream”. At one time I may have thought it was baseball, but my Mom seemed to know better, as she usually did. Maybe I was a little confused, but it is still about scoring runs and winning the game, right? But now instead of standing in the batter’s box and hitting that game winning home run, I feel that I‘m standing at the threshold of eternity, and people’s eternal destination hangs in the balance. I now get to help people reach their full potential in Christ and grow in their relationship with God and others. It’s about building leaders and leaders of leaders and equipping them to do ministry. It’s about giving it all away. So, for those of us who are “Living the Dream”, never forget that God provides a way for us to play in the biggest game of our lives every day. Wow, and I thought it was about baseball, but as usual, “Momma knows best”.

Philippians 2:3-5 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus

Category: Groups - General