I’ve never been the most outgoing person. But this year God has been challenging me to be more intentional and proactive in my relationships with others.  In taking on that challenge this past season, I have seen God not only bless me, but impact the lives of those around me, too.

Being called up to the Big Leagues and then sent back down to triple-A has allowed me to form a lot of relationships with different guys. I can see how God worked all of that out for His good, putting me right where I needed to be at just the right times.

There were multiple times this past year when God has allowed me to speak truth and encouragement to a guy who needed it at just that time and place. By being open to the Spirit’s leading, I have continually seen God use me to minister to others. It is not my personality to reach out to others like that, so I know it has to be God at work through me.

“Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.” —Job 11:7-9

In the same way, God has put individuals in my own life at just the right times when I needed truth spoken to me. As I recognize these moments in hindsight, I’m blown away at God’s providence.

One of these moments happened during last year’s off-season when my wife and I were looking to invest in some land. At the time we were looking at a large piece of property in Spokane, Washington, though we knew this particular option was a stretch for us financially. As we continued to pray about it and seek counsel, we were put in touch with a phenomenal businessman in Washington who not only knew a ton about investing in large properties, he also was strong Christian who knew the importance of being a good steward of God’s blessings. He really helped us through the process, and after praying a lot about it, we decided to make an offer. We felt like making an offer was the right move, but we also had a great sense of peace, knowing that if God knew this wasn’t the right opportunity, He would close the door. And when our offer wasn’t accepted, we were OK with that—we knew God had a better plan.

A few months later, we found a property in Ohio that was just perfect for us. Once I saw it I thought, “This is it. This is our farm.” My wife and I went to look at it and realized it was everything we wanted.

God prepared our hearts and minds to do our due diligence as we sought out a farm to invest in, and He placed key people in our paths who really helped guide us along in the process. As we kept our eyes focused on God’s plan for us, continually praying for peace and discernment, we were able to submit our plans and hopes to the Lord and trust that He had a greater plan for our future than we did. We simply prayed that God would show us how, when, and where He wanted us to do His will. Watching God go to work was incredible.

“Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.” —Proverbs 16:3

—JJ Hoover

JJ Hoover is a regular contributor of The Increase, providing monthly articles and opinions.

Check out JJ’s full profile on The Increase Baseball: http://theincreasebaseball.com/author/jj-hoover/

 
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