Athlete Testimonies:

Mariano Rivera

It's all about saves for baseball's Mariano Rivera-once the baseball kind for his team, but now the eternal kind for others. Rivera has spent well over a decade as a solid fixture in the sports world. He rose quickly in the baseball arena, gaining the respect of those who watched how he played and how he lives. But he's wished, at times, that his saves would come as frequently off the field as they do on the hill.

Rivera met the Lord in 1994 after seeing how He kept providing in unexpected ways that he had never seen before. "I realized the Lord wanted a relationship with me," he says. "That's when I became a Christian."

Now, when he retires, he might be interested in working with young minor leaguers from Latin American countries. He's not ashamed of God; his passion is for ministry. Rivera wants to teach people about the Word of God "because that will make them better people, better players, better everything."

Certainly the New York Yankees have been proud to have Rivera on their team. But the Lord is indeed even more proud to have him on His.

Uncommon Challenge