LA Dodgers pitcher writes book with wife

The topic and author of the book “Arise: Live Out Your Faith on Whatever Field You Find Yourself” captured my attention.

“Arise” is written by Los Angeles Dodgers’ pitcher Clayton Kershaw and his wife, Ellen. The book tells their journey with God as they strive to achieve their dreams.

Kershaw’s dream was to play Major League Baseball. Ellen’s dream was to go to Zambia, Africa.

I adore baseball. I’ve visited Zambia, and I left a large portion of my heart there. Hearing these two things that are such a large portion of who I am combined into one book? It sounded like a must read

What I didn’t expect was that with each turn of the page, I would be digging deeper into my faith.

When I wasn’t reading the book, I was thinking about it. I never wanted to put it down.

Clayton wrote, “People could question my dream and my drive all day long, but in the end, the Lord had a plan for my life. I wanted the Lord to define me. I wanted my life to be all about Him.”

Sentences like these that were hidden amongst the stories stuck out to me the most. I felt as if I was being issued a challenge: think about the way you are living and then change it.

We are often scared of change. The more I read, the more realized that if I remain deeply rooted in God then change doesn’t seem so bad. With change comes the issue of figuring out who we are. It’s a never ending process and we may have to fight for our identities.

Clayton said, “The battle to maintain a Christ-centered identity is the most worthy fight we face.” I think we sometimes forget that when we are focusing on what we want out of life we leave God out of the equation.

For me, this book put God back into the equation. It’s been a long time since I’ve highlighted and written all over a book that I read just for fun. Yes, I picked it up because it was written by a Major League baseball player, but by the time I turned the last page, it was so much more that.

I would recommend this book to baseball fans and non-baseball fans, Christians and non-Christians. It’s the story of their life together and their journey just so happens to include God.

I have never been more excited to be dreaming about going into the sports world as a writer. Players are actively living out their faith. Look at Tim Tebow or even Josh Hamilton. They are walking examples of Christ and even more are popping out of the woodwork.

It will never be easy to be a Christian in a world dominated by games on Sundays, alcohol, and so on. But it gives people like the Kershaws the chance to be salt, just like Jesus commands us in Matthew 5.

If you ask me what my favorite book is, I will tell you “Arise.” So go out and read it. I hope you find it as invigorating as I did.

[WRITER’S NOTE: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE FEBRUARY 2012 EDITION OF “THE PULSE”]