Losing And Winning

Baseball season flies by, yet a year-round reminder hangs over my desk—a Dave Dravecky baseball card. My favorite player? Not really, but he’s one who inspires me to keep going.

The first time Dravecky pitched for the Padres, they lost. After that disappointment, Dave’s wife Jan gave her husband advice he’d use on and off the ball field—to pitch for Jesus Christ, not the fans. Dave took this to heart, and it changed his “game.”

After Dravecky was traded to the Giants, he discovered a lump in his pitching arm. The cancerous tumor attached itself to the bone and spread into the muscle. Doctor’s told Dave after surgery he’d never pitch again. But God had another plan.

Dave worked hard in therapy, eventually playing in the minors before returning to the Giants. Crowds cheered as he pitched eight innings that first game back. Five days later Dave pitched his last game—his arm breaking with a snap that rang through the stands. He underwent more surgeries, the last to amputate his left arm up into the shoulder. But God still had a plan.

Dave and Jan wrote Comeback followed by When You Can’t Come Back. Another author wrote Dave’s inspiring story for children. The past two decades Dave’s spoken to crowds, reminding them to live for Jesus Christ only—that the applause of Heaven matters most.

Sometimes you can come back from a hurt or loss; sometimes you can’t. Sometimes the death of one dream means the birth of another—one you couldn’t imagine being without when all is said and done. 

God and you—a homerun! Are you on His team? If you’re not sure, watch the "One Way To Heaven" (video) and/or read the "Finding Hope In God" page to learn more.