Faith In The Game
STORIES BY ATHLETES OF FAITH
Faith in the Game is a blog containing submissions by athletes of faith. Each of them was asked one question: Tell us a story about a time when your faith was most present in your life. Rather than tell us about their faith, we asked them to show us.
These stories are oftentimes uplifting, and at all times profound, raw, honest, introspective and heartfelt. These are not the sort of stories you hear in a press conference. Some of them take place on the field; others, off it. They are presented without agenda or judgment. On many levels, we think you'll find them fascinating, as they pull up the veil on a side of sports that is rarely revealed but very often present.
This blog is moderated by author and father Ben Petrick, a former Colorado Rockies catcher thought to be the only professional athlete to have his career shortened by Parkinson's Disease, along with writer and father Scott Brown. In addition to their professional and family lives, both men are also coaches of youth sports. A selection of the stories they've collected will soon appear in a book, and together they're also working on Ben's autobiography.
If you'd like us to email you when new stories appear on the blog, please send us a note at info@imagine-books.net.
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“Crash,” by Ben Petrick
Ben Petrick is co-editor of Faith In The Game. A former Major Leaguer with the Colorado Rockies and Detroit Tigers, Ben has Parkinson’s disease and recently underwent an aggressive surgery called Deep Brain Stimulation to alleviate his symptoms. A television news story on Ben’s amazing recovery can be found here. Ben chronicles his progress, along with stories of faith, family and baseball, in this blog.
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Like many sports fans, as a kid, I grew up idolizing players and praying that one day I could be a professional athlete. I had my idols: Don Mattingly, Roger Craig and Clyde Drexler — all men of character, though not men of outward faith.
Ironically, if they had been, I might have been less apt to follow them.
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You can’t say, “I can’t.” You can say, “I’m having trouble, but I’m not done yet.” — “The Tree of Life”
“Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, for Him.” — Psalm 27:14 -
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“All of us know when we were born, but only a few of us know why.” — David Feherty, speaking of Tom Watson, who he says helped pull him from his alcoholic despair
“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heavens.” — Ecclesiastes 3:1 -
Carissa Moore, youngest women’s pro surfing world champion ever, from Hawaii, of course. Rock on, little lady!
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It’s time for SobFest 2011, otherwise known as ESPN’s My Wish series. This one is with Landon Donovan, David Beckham and a boy recovering from Leukemia. Be strong! To read more about Brendan and Landon, click here.
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“Grace doesn’t try to please itself. Accepts being slighted, forgotten, disliked. Accepts insults and injuries.” — “The Tree of Life”
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” — 2 Corinthians 12:9 -
“I’d rather have nothing and want everything, than have everything and want nothing.” — Artist Victor Muniz (from the stunning documentary “Wasteland”)
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall possess the land.” — Matthew 5:4 -
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“The hero and the coward both feel the same thing.” — Cus D’Amato
“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” — Psalm 23:4 -
A letter from a reader
We received this letter several days ago, and when we read it, asked permission to reprint it so our readers could might benefit from it, too.
For clarity’s sake, this letter was directed to Ben Petrick, a former Colorado Rockies catcher who today suffers from Parkinson’s disease, and is co-editor of Faith In The Game.
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Dear Ben:
We’ve met a couple of times, years ago. Once in Denver, once in Tucson. In any case, it feels odd writing to a stranger, but I hope you’ll find meaning in what I have to share.
When I met you maybe in 2000 or so, you were playing in Denver. I was a software Sales Executive, jet-setting, “living the dream.” I was greedy and flashy and the temptations were everywhere. And I was getting to be very, very ill. Spiritually, emotionally and physically. I was leading a double life and succumbing to a darkness that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.
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“Do you know what my favorite part of the game is? The opportunity to play.” —
Mike Singletary
Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. — Ephesians 5:19 -
Comments today from Josh Hamilton in the wake of the tragedy in Arlington:
To read more, please click here.“It helps me handle life,” Hamilton said, “and this is life, this tragedy. There’s things that happen that you have no control over and you don’t understand them and you will never understand them until you stand in front of your maker.”
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Young in Heart, By Stephanie Cox
Stephanie Cox, 25, is one of the top young defenders in the world, and a member of the United States women’s national soccer team that moved past Brazil Sunday to reach the World Cup semifinals.
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I became a Christian at the ripe young age of four. As my mom tells the story, after watching a Christian kids’ TV show, I asked my mom if I was going to heaven. She told me how Jesus came to save us and to bring us to God. I asked Jesus into my heart and ever since then I have been a Christian.
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The Proving Ground, by Ben Petrick
Ben Petrick is co-editor of Faith In The Game. A former Major Leaguer with the Colorado Rockies and Detroit Tigers, Ben has Parkinson’s disease and recently underwent an aggressive surgery called Deep Brain Stimulation to alleviate his symptoms. A television news story on Ben’s amazing recovery can be found here. Ben chronicles his progress, along with stories of faith, family and baseball, in this blog.
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Challenges occur in life on a daily basis; some big, some small. I have found that over the past couple of years as my relationship with Christ has deepened, these adversities just don’t have the hold on me that they once did.
If you read in James 1:2-4 the Bible says, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
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“The skill of winning is exceeded by the need to master the skill of losing. If you don’t learn what to take from loss, you’ll never win.” — Rick Carlisle
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit…” — Psalms 34:18
