"Beyond Belief" by professional baseball player, Josh Hamilton

I have just finished reading an autobiography by Josh Hamilton who is a professional baseball player for the Texas Rangers. Some of you might know him from the 2008 All-Star festivities where he hit the most homeruns (28) in a single round of the homerun derby this past summer. Others of you might also know his past of being a childhood and high school baseball phenom turned alcoholic and drug addict in his young twenties after being drafted #1 straight out of high school.

The book itself is his story of climbing to baseball stardom before graduating high school, to succombing to alcohol and drug addiction, to going to whatever limits it took to feed his addiction, to surrendering his life to Christ, and to experiencing the strength to recover and return to baseball stardom by the grace of God. Here a couple quotes taken from the final pages of the book...

"None of this would have been possible withouth my relationship with Christ. I went through eight different drug treatment and rehabilitation clinics, but my personal resurrection did not come from a group session or a therapist's couch. I know the twelve steps by heart, but my healing did not come from a strict adherence to those principles. Instead, my life changed from hopeless to hope-filled when I turned to God and asked for His help. I recognized my failings and, most importantly, my inability to heal myself." (pg 246)

Josh also says this to a fan of his that approaches him after a baseball game who is also an addict. "'When you really want to change your life, you will,' I told her. 'Something is going to have to happen in your life for you to get better. You're going to hit bottom--maybe get arrested, maybe OD. But when you go to meetings, the first thing they talk about is a higher power. They talk about God, and the only way I was able to get better is through Jesus Christ.'" (pg 256)

I don't share these quotes to speak out against AA or anthing like it, by any means. I think AA is a great program and I know many have found tremendous help through it. I am thankful for how God has used AA to bring healing to people. Moreso, I share these quotes here to point to the importance of Jesus in Josh Hamilton's recovery. He unashamedly says that Jesus is the most important factor. The book is a great testimoney. It's hard to believe how deep he traveled into his addiction. However, it is even more remarkable to read about the work of Christ in his recovery and life thereafter.

Go out and get the book if you are interested in hearing more.

Quietness & Trust

I have sat around for longer than a week wondering what my first post should be about. What would be a good way to capture the concept of transcendence in Jesus Christ and spring this blog forward?

This morning, an answer came to me during my quiet time in the form of what is said in Isaiah 30:15...
"This is what the Sovereign Lord, the Holy One of Israel, says: 'In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength,...'"

This line sprung into my head after reading of Jesus in Mark 4:35-41 where he calms a storm while traveling with his disciples in a boat. As a storm looms over and comes upon the boat, Jesus is said to be in the stern sleeping on a cushion. The disciples hurriedly wake him asking, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown? Jesus rises and rebukes the waves saying, "Quiet! Be still!" Jesus then turns to his disciples and says, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"

In this story, Jesus shows an immense amount of quietness and trust. He is caught sleeping while a great storm arose and threatened him, his disciples, and the others also traveling by boat in the sea. In this moment, Jesus is able to be unfazed by the tumult around him. He is able to rest in the Sovereign Lord, his Father, and not be diminished in his quietness and trust which is his strength.

Why I bring this up in this first blog is because I believe transcendence is wrapped up in this, Quietness and trust in the Lord our God! It is here we are to place our dependence and faith. He is to have our allegiance. First comes repentance and rest in salvation given, then from then on, quietness and trust in his Lordship shall be our strength.

There is a peculiar line that comes at the end of Isaiah 15:30 that I haven't shared yet. Following quietness and trust is your strength it says, "but you would have none of it." The people being spoken of here chose a life lived without the Sovereign Lord, the God of Israel. They decided against repentance and rest, and quietness and trust and it is possible for us to do the same. We can go forth living our lives with hardly a notion of God even remotely being with us. This can easily go unnoticed for life is pretty easily lived without any awareness or consciousness of God among us.

If you have been living a life like the one just described; a life without the awareness or consciousness of God among you. Let me tell you that transcedence and triumph in this life from the many storms and that which threatens us is only found via faith in God through Jesus Christ. This is where I have found strength to stand and live after many things I once trusted in left me tired and beaten. This is also where I found the strength to once again believe in things I earlier suppressed and ultimately step out in faith into the calling God placed before me in attending seminary. I don't yet know the full picture of this calling, but I strive forward in quietness and trust in my Lord.

Further down in Isaiah 30, verse 18 reads, "Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!" The Lord stands with great compassion for you. Grace is available in Jesus Christ his Son. Come and believe. Be quiet; be still! For he is God (Psalm 46).

I end this post with a few lines from a poem I wrote in the summer of 2006. In it I referred to the topic shared here of quietness and trust. As you wait in the Lord, may He sustian you with much strength and lead you out of life's labyrinths!

"There is a purpose for all that happens
You must keep your faith from becoming dampened
By faith you will be affirmed as righteous
The fruit of which will be quietness and confidence (Isaiah 32:17)
In this quietness and trust shall be your strength (Isaiah 30:15)
Those who hope in the Lord can sore out of any labyrinth (Isaiah 40:31)"