I Got A Feeling

All week long I could not come up with a subject to write about for a Monday Message. Sunday came and I still didn’t have an idea or a story and I started to panic. I don’t know if it was writers block or just a “feeling” that I had that I should wait. So I waited until Monday evening and I am glad I did!

 

Earlier today I played in a Charity Golf Tournament to raise money for a Christian School and I met someone who really impressed me. His name is Sean Rooney and he gave me a great story to write about when he reminded me that sometimes we get a “feeling” that we just can’t ignore.

 

Sean is 27 and a former professional baseball player drafted by the Washington Nationals in 2006. His career was on the rise as he quickly moved from A Ball to Double A to Triple A and could practically smell the fresh cut grass on the field at Nationals Park Stadium when something happened that would change his life forever. His father, Bill, and older brother, Patrick, were tragically killed in a plane crash in Steamboat Springs, CO. They were traveling back from a trip where they were renovating a rustic barn for the reception site of Sean’s wedding, which was to take place in the upcoming September. His family was extremely close so the pain of unexpectedly losing two loved ones at the same time was extremely hard to bear. Sean began to question his life, wondering if devoting all his attention to baseball was still the right thing to do. He told me he had a “feeling” that something needed to change and that he prayed about it for a long time.

 

As he prayed for guidance, his love for the Lord increased and his desire to pursue the Big League Dream began to subside. After Sean played for AAA Syracuse in 2010, he told the Washington Nationals that he was going to leave the game knowing and trusting that God would place him where he could be most impactful. I am sure the coaching staff thought he was crazy to walk away from such a lucrative and exciting career but Sean had a “feeling” that he was on the right path. Today Sean is the Director of High School Ministry for FCA Baseball (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) and leads Bible Study Classes for youth baseball players at several local High Schools. Instead of igniting the crowd with a Home Run Sean ignites the hearts of young men and women all over Southern California with a love for God. His new career may not pay as much as the old one, but the ultimate payoff is priceless!

 





A bend in the road is not the end of the road, unless you fail to make the turn.

~ William Faulkner