A Leader Of Great Respect
There are few leaders I respect more than former National League Manager of the Year Clint Hurdle. Many people know him as the former manager of the Colorado Rockies and Pittsburgh Pirates where he won 1,269 games. While this is may be true, I know Coach Hurdle as a husband, father, advocate of the Special Needs community, and person whose life was transformed by Jesus Christ.
A Life-Changing Bible Study
Each week I am privileged to participate in a Zoom Bible study with dozens of high school, collegiate, and professional baseball scouts and coaches. It has become my favorite forty-five minutes of the week. I am constantly challenged and encouraged by these men who come together each week, combine their love of Jesus and baseball, and strive to become more like Him. Coach Hurdle is part of this collective.
An Insightful Question
During this past week’s session, NorthStar Church’s Cole Ragsdale was leading the teaching time and asked the group how they could delight in the Lord on the baseball field. For seventy-five seconds I had the privilege of listening to Coach Hurdle answer this question. From his response I gleaned four specific areas where leaders can delight in God everyday, not just on the baseball field but wherever you may be. All quotes are from Coach Hurdle.
You Can Delight In The Lord During Your Struggles
Coach Hurdle said, “I can speak on a personal behalf. A couple of different times having rebuilds in couple of different organizations and knowing the pain, the anguish, the hard work, the criticism, the cynicism that you get along the way.”
You Can Delight In The Lord In Your Success
Coach Hurdle continued, “And then to land it, to actually land it. And see the euphoria, the jubilation, the happiness, now the buy-in, the bandwagons. It was empty and now it’s full. People can’t get on it’s so full.”
You Can Delight In The Lord’s Overflow Of Blessings In Your Life To Others
With a sense of great satisfaction, Coach Hurdle noted, “That part of it makes you smile but the part that transcends that is when the you look at the employees. You look at season tickets sellers. You look at people working the stands. You look at people, the cartilage of your organization, embracing that ride. People downtown, the vendors, the hotels, the restaurants, the joy that it brings to so many.”
You Can Delight In The Lord’s Faithfulness In Your Life
Coach Hurdle concluded, “And to know the fact that you stayed steadfast with God’s plan. You continued to serve and show up through the mud. You put your boots on. You walk through the mud. You dealt with the mess knowing that whatever is going to happen, you’re still going to walk with Jesus all the way through this and it’s going to end like He wanted it to end.”
If you are a high school, collegiate, or professional baseball coach or scout and would like to be part of this time together, email NorthStar Church’s senior pastor Mike Linch at mike.linch@northstarchurch.org and he will get you connected. I can’t recommend enough that you make this part of your weekly schedule and discipleship.
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