Answered Prayers.

God is Good.

If I read this 20 years from now, whether or not I still talk or have contact with my friend Steve Johnson, I just want to take the time to document how proud I am of him today. I met Steve about 6 months ago while I was visiting my best friend in Baltimore. She lives with him and I knew when I met him we automatically clicked. We have the same humor, I am witty and he is sarcastic. We laughed a lot that weekend, even tried to catch a mouse in the house. But the point of the story is that he loves baseball. He plays for a living. 

Not many people I know:

1. Make a good living doing what they love

2. Love what they do for a living.

 Steve loves it. He breathes it. He probably goes to bed thinking about what will make him better, stronger, faster. And wakes up with solutions to those thoughts.  He has been playing AAA minors for the past 7 years. When I met him in February it was the last weekend before he left for spring training. I told him before he left that this was the year he waited for, that he would go pro! Most men I know would have given up their dream if 7 years had passed and they still hadn’t made it to the big leagues. I respect Steve for never giving up, for keeping his dream alive. Ever since the day I met him I have prayed that no matter what God’s plan for his life that he would never lose the love of the game. And that whatever God’s plan was for his life that he would accept it and find peace in his journey. Steve has been dead set on making it to the MLB, there was no other choice. No other plan. No other option. Now if that doesn’t shout dedication I don’t know what does.

            About 3 weeks ago Steve made his Major league debut. I couldn’t believe it. (I mean I could but at the same time I was in awe.) I couldn’t believe it because the Detroit Tigers were playing Baltimore Orioles that Sunday. So little ol me who watches from the suburbs of Detroit could see my friend make his first Major League Debut. I knew that had to have been a God thing, that I would be able to witness him take the mound and go pro. After that he went back down to pitch AAA. Until tonight. Steve Johnson took the mound for the Baltimore Orioles and he proved that he deserves a spot on that 40 man roster, let alone their pitching rotation. He went 6 innings with 9 strike outs. Out of the 97 pitches he pitched, 67 were strikes. Pretty impressive for a rookie.

Doin what he does best!

If you know anything about me, you probably know that I have a big faith. I pray a lot. I talk to God all day long, even when he doesn’t talk back. I have learned to be patient for those answers, to be patient to wait for God to talk back. Just like Steve waited 7 years for his dreams to finally come true. It may take a second, a day, a month or even years for your prayers to be answered but sometimes that’s all it takes. Patience is quite the virtue in the waiting game of praying. Sometimes all life is --is a test. A test to see whether we will wander away from God or whether we will go to him with whatever challenge we are facing. It really is just a matter of pass or fail.

           

            Today I thank God and the Baseball Gods for giving my friend a chance to watch his dreams come true and also letting him pass the test.