Have you ever had one of those weeks where all you could see was obstacles? One of those weeks when you questioned God, questioned your own abilities and honestly wondered if you were heading in the right direction? For me, this week, I have had moments when I felt doubt, fear and worry over the many obstacles that I see on the horizon.
In the midst of that struggle, I have been so thankful for the discipline of journaling. Over the past few years, the Lord has been teaching me the value of writing down what He has done in my life. This past summer, our "Ambassadors" called this discipline, "Stones of Remembrance".
This week, there were moments that I began to doubt myself, my abilities and my plans. As these doubts and fears crept into my life, the Holy Spirit led me to stop and remember how the Lord moved in our lives last summer. I read some of the old blogs which described experiences of God's provision and realties of God's presence in the formation of our baseball ministry and the launch of "A Life Worth Following." In this week's blog, I wanted to take the opportunity to remember a Divine Appointment in June with the Ambassadors. I hope the Lord will use this "Stone of Remembrance" from the 2008 Ambassador season in your life this week. I also hope that you would consider developing the discipline of journaling in your own life. You will be amazed how the Lord will use your own story to inspire you to continue a life of faith in Christ. I hope the Lord will speak to your heart through one of our "Stones of Remembrance."
Divine Appointments - June 20, 2008 - Ambassador Baseball Season
The Scriptures very clearly remind us that our ways are not always His ways. This has proven to be true in so many aspects of our lives. God always has a plan, even when there seems to be no hope or no path, God seems to make a path available. This was exactly what the Ambassadors experienced today.
Last night was an incredible night at the First United Methodist Church in Bixby, Oklahoma. As the Ambassadors shared, 6 students asked Christ to come into their lives. It is truly amazing how the Lord is using Justin’s story and the story of the Ambassadors to bring people to Jesus. God is so good and so faithful.
After the evening service, we received the disappointing news that the ORU tournament had been cancelled due to the wet conditions on the field. In spite of all that, this morning the team got up early and headed off to the baseball clinic scheduled in Bixby. We were anticipating a great turnout today because Bixby is a big baseball town. Ryan Williams, an Ambassador, is from Bixby and they won the 5A State Baseball Championship this year. All week long, several city and church officials were helping to put together the clinic. The original location of the clinic was not an option today because of the recent rainfall so they decided to move the clinic to a soccer field. As the team arrived, they waited and waited, only to see one camper show up for the free baseball clinic. Everyone was disappointed in this turnout. All of a sudden, the Lord put a thought in Coach Vallerand’s mind: What about that boys' home? One of the volunteers standing in the circle regularly reaches out to a boys' home in Sand Springs. Coach V asked his buddy Jerry if the boys' home would be interested in a visit from the Ambassadors.
Needless to say, a phone call was made and the entire baseball team was re-routed to Sand Springs. Our guys spent 3 hours at some serious Whiffle Ball and then sat down with the boys and shared their story. Raul Corpus, one of our catchers, got up to share his testimony and the boys were captivated by what he had to say. This captivation continued as the team shared Justin’s story and how the Ambassadors came together At the end of the day, 12 boys prayed to receive Christ as their savior.
God is so faithful that he will cancel an entire baseball clinic in a city, just to take His message to people that don’t know Him. The way God has pursued us is absolutely amazing. If you are reading this and you feel in your mind and your heart a pull towards an authentic relationship with Christ, I would love to connect with you.
My number is 405-245-5790. I would love to help you begin this authentic journey with the Lord.
Though we are disappointed that the tournament was cancelled and our plans were re-routed, we are thankful that we are on a purposeful journey of following Jesus Christ. Even when we are forced to change our plans, His plan still comes to pass.
We serve a big God with big plans for His kids. We are glad to be His kids and Ambassadors for Him. Divine appointments are unforgettable and today was a day that we experienced one mainly because we were asking for it. For this blessing, we are very, very thankful.
Maybe today, God has a divine appointment for you. It may come when you are not expecting it, and it may happen in a way you are not anticipating. I learned today, if you are available and sensitive to the Spirit of God, He will take you down a path that is truly supernatural. This is another one of those things that produces a life that is worth following.
Posted on
Friday, February 6, 2009
by Chris Wall