But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Isaiah 40:31

My purpose was to purchase a couple of posters at the local Lighthouse Christian Bookstore. I went in with that intention. I came out with far more.

During my “shopping time”, a man stopped to address me by saying, “You’re Steve Bouley, right?”   I moved closer to shake hands with Larry Avila, a cross-town baseball and softball competitor from high school days and beyond.  He needed to dominate the conversation because sadly, I didn’t remember him at all.  He said such uplifting things about my talent as a player back then that I wondered if he was really talking about me. In any case, I could feel my hat size growing. He humbled himself when it was his turn to speak of his “positions”during those years, but I did manage to get this – he must have been pretty good too!  After the jock talk, we got to know who we had become.

I got to meet (really for the first time) Pastor Lawrence (Larry) Avila, ordained minister of a Non-Denominational Church in New Bedford, MA.  He got to meet Steven Bouley, retired New Bedford Public School teacher, now working as a varied volunteer at Seekonk Christian Academy. One could say we did more than a quiet and orderly dance in the flesh as we discovered our connection as Christian brothers.  One pleasantry led to another and we concluded with the exchange of phone numbers. Finally, off we went – he with his bag of goodies and me with my posters.

From that introductory time, nearly twenty years ago, Pastor Larry and I have become close friends  and have functioned as teammates in a variety of ministry activities – Players For Christ, if you will. 

We’ve meshed to live for the honor and glory of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For us now, a uniform for Christ is better than any winning home run-ever hit- in any seventh game- of any world series.  Wherever he leads us to play, we’ll go -knowing that victory in Christ is assured – something neither of us ever experienced as former athletes.

We have a guaranteed future of victory in this Spiritual Biggest League of Life.  Why? Because God says so:

• He chose us to play. John15:16
• We’re born again as His Heavenly rookies. 2 Cor 5:17
• His Holy Spirit is our new power source. 1 Cor 6:19
• We’re being transformed in the likeness of the Biggest League’s best player, Jesus Christ, God’s Son. 2 Cor3:18
• We step to the life plate as playing Ambassadors of Jesus Christ. 2 Cor 5:20

As for the trip to the Lighthouse Christian Bookstore – That was for two willing rookies in Christ to stop by a dugout-like structure to become enlightened to eventually go to bat – together-as Players for Christ.  Come to find out,we may have had the bags and posters, but we were the ones being shopped — by God,the Owner of all franchises!

Col 3:23-24; 1 Cor 9: 24-27; Deut 31:6; 2 Tim 4:7; Heb 12:1; Ecc 9:10

We have a guaranteed future of victory in this Spiritual Big League of Life.  Why? because God says