Giving Glory where Glory is Due!
I’m not a huge baseball fan and was never very good at the sport when I was a kid. But when your home team is in the playoffs and World Series, you’ve got to root for them. So, yes, I was pleased with the Astros’ win over Philadelphia last night. A vital component of the contest was, mostly unheard of, Cristian Javier, from the Dominican Republic, who threw a perfect no-hitter game.
Even while watching the game, I could see how calm and collected Javier was. I also noted that there seemed to be some element of genuine faith in God in his life.
In addition to calmness under fire, much of the commentary about Javier has been about his parents. Apparently, on Tuesday, his mother told Javier that he would throw a no-hitter in the game last night, which is what happened. So the media has picked up on his family commitment. But what was even more impressive, which the media is a bit slow to address, is his devotion to God in his actions and words.
In response to his parent’s proclamation, Javier noted, “I kept my faith in God, and obviously, I knew I had a big commitment today being down 2-1 in the series. And obviously, with my parents being here, I just tried to give my best. Give my family the best that I could.” He also admitted, “It’s funny, my parents told me I was going to throw a no-hitter . . . and, thanks to God, I was able to accomplish that.”
His faith seems to be more than a publicity stunt in the World Series, but something that permeates his whole life. Over a year ago, he was sent back to a practice site, away from the significant action, and instead of complaining, he trusted God. He stated then, “In reality, I didn’t expect it. But I felt everything was normal. I put everything in God my Father’s hands.”
What do I find in the scriptures? That it is God who gives us our ability, whether people admit that or not. For Javier, this is central to who he is, and I hope we can learn something from that young man from the D.R.
Note the number of times Javier references his praise to God.
Oh yes . . . Go Astros!
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