Let's continue with a baseball theme for at least once more time.  There will be an aim to make a point but that could be a stretch.  Josh Hamilton enjoyed several years of great success with my team to follow.  His is an amazing story of life, death and renewal.  He was once a highly regarded prospect who ruined those dreams to the demons called addiction.  Most people know how he repented then began a journey back to the game.  Progress took some time until he exploded onto the scene with the Texas Rangers.  He put on a display of power in the home run contest then played great for the team.  No one can question his contributions to the team for most of his time in Texas.  Fans stood behind him even during times of relapse.  Then the bottom fell out in a nasty divorce between Hamilton, the team and the fans.

Most experts knew he would try out being a free agent when the season ended last year.  It didn't help that the season ended early in part because of Hamilton's performance or lack of. He hit everything in sight for a few months early in the season.  Most of his year would be far below expectations.  He also missed time due to odd injuries or illnesses.  People were already in disagreement over what to do about any new contract.  His last few games as a Ranger were a disaster.  He could not hit anything to save his life.  Then there was a horrible effort at fielding that left the fans just angry.  It was not looking good for his return and then he signed with a rival team for a huge amount of money.  The final straw would be comments from both he and his wife.  It sounded like they were just happy to leave the Rangers with other insults included.  Everyone knew it would be ugly when he returned with his new team.  It was surely that if not more.

Hamilton came back to Texas as a member of the Los Angeles Angles this past week.  Fans buy tickets with various motives.  He would be vocally booed by those former supporters loudly.  Cheers only came about when he failed either when batting or fielding.  Sports writers did indeed write about whether this was a good or bad thing.  Some fans even turned their back as a sign of not caring whether he was there or not.  Hamilton wondered publicly if his story of redemption no longer mattered to the fans here.  It is almost as if he should be exempt from such reactions because of his Christian conversion.  His mindset is that people should mostly cheer because of his dramatic turnaround.  I can understand that but there is more to the story.

Believers live in two worlds.  One does not cancel out the other while we are alive on this planet.  Hamilton is indeed a brother in Christ.  My admiration for his salvation remains high as always.  I even spoke to him a bit years ago following his breakout performance during the home run contest.  My opinion is that being a believer may not exclude you from certain expectations.  Josh is a professional athlete.  That is his job.  Not doing your best at work usually has consequences.  He has to realize you cannot shrug off the reactions of others when one so talented falls short on the field.  There is also the problem of the comments made about his former team or residence.  Texas is indeed a football state but we take our baseball seriously.  Controlling your tongue is part of every Christian's story.  Maturity includes knowing when to talk or when to keep quiet.  Just being saved is not a free pass from being wise or smart. 

No easy answers fit such a situation.  I only hope that time will produce a greater maturity in all of us.  That will mean our story never ends but just continues into even more grace.

Bro. Trey