Carter's choose to write his speech on wisdom this year based on what he wants to be when he grows up - a professional baseball player. One of our dear girls goes to church with Josh Willingham and helped Carter get questions to Josh. He did most of the writing himself. I was very proud!
My mom and dad are always telling me that we need
Christians everywhere in today’s world.
We need Christian doctors, lawyers, presidents, mayors and
teachers. So, when I grow up, I
want to be a Christian professional baseball player. Proverbs 3:13 says, “Happy is the man who finds wisdom and
the man who gains understanding.”
I want to be happy in the job I choose, so according to this verse, I
need to find wisdom. Wisdom comes
from God’s word. To be wise, I
read the Bible, do a daily devotional with my family and go to church so I can
learn what God wants me to do. To
find understanding about life as a Christian professional baseball player, I
need to talk to someone who is just that to understand what the job is
like. I chose to talk with Josh
Willingham who is a professional baseball player for the Minnesota Twins. Josh is also a member of the church who
lives in Florence, Alabama.
I wanted to know if it is easy to be a pro baseball
player while being a Christian. He
said it is very difficult at times because most of the people he works with
daily aren’t Christians. In
Proverbs 6:12-19, a wicked man is described. The wicked man uses ugly words in his speech, he runs
towards evil and he is proud. Josh
probably around guys like this who try to get him to act this way as well. However, I am also told in Proverbs
6:20-22 that if I follow God’s commands He will lead me, keep me and speak with
me. No matter what I decide to
become, I will be around wicked men, but if I follow God’s commands He will
guide me through it.
Over
and over in Proverbs it tells us to keep God’s commands “as a chain around our
neck” and “as an ornament on our head.”
So, I asked Josh if a certain Bible verse helped him in his career. He said James 1:2-4. It says, “My brethren, count it all joy
when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith
produces patience. But let
patience have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete lacking
nothing.” The wisdom that comes
from this verse is that in any job I will be tempted. People will try to test my faith in God. But, if I am faithful through the
temptations, God will guide me through and I will lack nothing.
I also asked Josh what Proverbs 3:5-6 meant to him. This verse says, “Trust in the Lord
with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He
shall direct your paths.” He said
for me to include God in every decision and aspect of my life. He told me that it is easy to try to do
everything on your own and forget God.
However, if he trust in Him and include Him in our decisions, He will
direct our life. Along with this
he told me it was hard to be a baseball player and balance church along with
playing ball. He does not get to
attend services regularly. He is
able to watch his home congregation online sometimes and a chaplain comes for
those that want to study the Bible.
Josh makes it a priority to study and pray a lot by himself so his
relationship with God can grow. Before every game, he goes to centerfield and prays as his
warm up time.
To me, Josh Willingham is a great role model because
he is doing what he loves and living for His God whom he loves. I also like him because he says, “Roll
Tide!” Being a Christian
professional baseball player is harder than you think. However, Josh has given me the
understanding to continue to find wisdom from God, trust Him with all my heart,
acknowledge Him in all I do and He will direct my paths!
