Ethan Chapman’s dream to make it to the Big League level hasn’t happened yet. This past winter, Ethan signed to play 2017 in the Mexican League (AAA level) with the Vaqueros Union Laguna club.

Off the field, he’s a husband and a devoted follower of Jesus Christ. His faith is at the center of who he is as a person.

Today is the tenth of a season-long diary that Ethan is going to share with us as he continues his battle through minor league baseball and his quest to make it to the Big Leagues.

Be Still

I am known by my family and close friends as someone who has a “dog with a bone” mentality. For those who don’t know what that means, basically, once I get an idea in my head that I’m passionate about, I don’t let it go until it’s completed the way I want it to be. To me I’ve always taken it as somewhat of a positive. I saw myself as someone with focus and drive. Turns out it’s usually referred to as a negative trait.

Recently I’ve been focused on ‘being still’ and letting God’s will take place, instead of me forcing things into place.

I’ve always wanted to be a business owner. Recently my wife and I really started focusing on opening a wine bar in our home town. The more we spoke and prayed about it, the more hesitant she felt about the idea. Obviously this is a hard one for me to let go because I was so passionate about the idea but Kylie is really in tune with her spiritual intuition. So this idea is something we’ll have to revisit later.

BE STILL.

Baseball always has its ups and downs, but it seems when I am focused on my life after ball, some doors open up specifically with baseball that could take my career to the next level. I once heard a quote that went something like “it’s possible to chase your dream too much that you begin to choke it.”

I believe this is what I do with baseball at times. The more I squeeze on baseball, the more things go wrong, but the more I trust God and relax, the better the results get.

“BE STILL”

We are also looking at options to rent out our house, or sell our house and buy another. This is another area that will take some time and prayer to come to a good decision. Many people are telling us all sorts of different advice and what we do depends a lot on if I play winter ball or not, as well as what’s in store for us next summer.

As I’ve mentioned before, I am not someone who likes to wait and let things happen. I like to have answers and make decisions right away, but I need to be patient and let things play out to see what’s best for us.

BE STILL

This is a tough idea for me to grasp but I have to realize that my future is in God’s hands, He gives me passions and desires for a reason but He also puts up road blocks for a reason. Working on spending time with him and hearing His voice will allow me to make the best decisions for me and my family.

BE STILL Psalms 46:10

E. CHAPMAN

Through 67 games with Vaqueros Union Laguna in the Mexican League, Ethan is batting .284 with 62 hits, 5 HR, 20 RBI, 40 Runs Scored, and 15 Stolen Bases. 

To read Ethan’s previous journal entries from this season, click here.