OPENING DAY 2018

2018 Minor League Opening Day:

For the last 183 days, I woke up every morning and prepared myself for this day. The whole off-season my routine every day looked something like this:

7:30 Wake up

8:15 Cook Breakfast

9:00 Head to the gym

1:00 Get home from the gym

1:30 Eat Lunch

3:00 Go Hit at the field

For 4-6 hours a day, I committed everything I had to get ready for this season. I was motivated and driven by the thought of running out on that field for my first professional season on “OPENING DAY” and start my first full season with a bang!

The day has finally come and I still have the same motivation lingering with me each morning when I wake up.

Well, this Opening Day I won’t get to run out on the field like I originally planned.

WHAT!?

Weird I know… I was thrown off too!

After a really good month at spring training, I went into the last week of the month optimistic, expecting to start the season with our Low-A team, Lexington Legends. I was feeling healthy for the first time in almost a year, I hit the ball really well, played good defense, and was aggressive on the base paths… I felt like I did everything I needed to do to make the Lexington team.

It was just a week ago from Tuesday, I was told I had done everything right, but I won’t get the opportunity to break with the team I had worked so hard to make.

Can anyone relate?

I mean you work your butt off for almost 200 days, do everything right to impress someone, say and do the right things, go above and beyond to deliver, yet, you are left disappointed.

Talk about a punch in the gut!

Sitting in that office… stomach churning, eyes watering, palms sweating; a feeling I will never forget. For the first time in my life, I was really told NO!

Depressed. Disappointed. Defeated. Emotional.

I wish I could say I handled it with a good attitude and knew that God had me where he wanted me. But honestly, my attitude and outlook were far from perfect.

For nearly a week, I was frustrated every day and just wanted to go home and say screw this. I admit I still struggle some, but I have found peace within the last week.

Naturally, I think as humans, when we exhaust our energy to achieve something and fall short, we are crushed. It is in this time of reflection, we have to make a decision on how we respond.

Do we keep going? Give up? Or maybe change our perspective?

Just the other day, Coach Roth (my college hitting coach), called me and asked how I was doing. I was honest and told him I was struggling and explained to him all my emotions from the last week: Anger, complaining, blaming others.

It was in this moment when he challenged me to twist my perspective.

He told me to take the attention off of me. Think about the bigger picture of life. As believers what is our one mission? Think about your job as a mission field instead of a job (easier said than done I know).

When you begin to view each relationship, conversation, or moment a CHANCE to lead someone to Christ, life isn’t so bad huh?

It was in this moment, I grasped on to the thought of why I play baseball in the first place… to further God’s Kingdom. The money, the fame, the big league life is secondary to a life leading others to Christ.

So now I ask you the question… how do you feel about your situation?

- Are you in the lull of going to work every day and complaining about how miserable you are every moment someone will listen?

- Do you constantly find negative things about the spot you currently are in?

- Are you upset because you did not get the promotion you thought you deserved?

Do you take for granted the position you have?

I admit, it is not easy and I am on this journey with you. But I challenge you to work alongside me and take the attention off of yourself and really focus on why we are on the Earth.

“He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all the creation.’” – Mark 16:15. The world is the people you interact with daily. Don’t let the thought, “I can’t have an impact at my workplace” creep into your head. LIES!

Let’s change our workplace and look to preach the truth God has given us.

If you have any questions about the season, professional baseball, or life feel free to comment below!