Patience. This is what God has placed on my heart for this season. As I pray for patience in the midst of circumstances that might not be what I hope for, I’m able to have faith in God’s plan.
Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about how to rejoice in our challenges, to actually be stoked about them because these are opportunities to grow! The more we grow in our faith in Christ, the more we understand and experience His glory. Whenever I’m given a challenge, I know I’ll make it through because it’s part of God’s plan for me. By rejoicing in and working through these challenges, we can experience victory through Christ and use these circumstances to give Him glory.
I never want to push the Bible on anyone. Instead, I try to focus on being a good friend to others. By doing this, I hope and pray that I’m able to share the love and grace of Christ. God can shine a light through us when we choose to be a good friend to someone, and talk with them about our relationship with Christ in a way that’s not forceful, but rather authentic.
My family was like this for me. A lot of my faith comes from watching my parents live out their faith. They would act and word things in such a way that would help me grow. They still do. I hope I can live the type of faithful, Christ-centered life they do and be that kind of a light to others.
I’m really excited to keep growing with God this season. Last year, I stressed a lot about having success on the field. It became really hard to live every day like that. This year, I obviously still care about my success and I strive to be the best I can be, but ultimately, I know God has a plan no matter what. No longer do I live and die by my success. I live and die by my faith in God. Everything after that is just an added blessing.
I’ve never been really interested in the lifestyle of the rich and famous. I’m not intrigued by a lot of the same things my peers are. The things that draw me in are more simple. I try to surround myself with the simple things such as mountains, surfing and nature, because that’s what I enjoy. I’m inspired by it; it’s how I grew up. I’ve never been tempted to stray from that.
By being in creation, I’m able to learn about and enjoy God’s artwork. Seeing what God has created is simply magnificent! However I can play in it — hiking, surfing, camping or practicing photography — I want to share that with others so they can experience the beauty of God’s handiwork as well. Baseball is definitely my main passion and focus, but these secondary things are also a big part of my life.
However I can use my life to point others to God, while enjoying the way He’s created me, I will.
“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” — Psalm 19:1
— Daniel Norris, Detroit Tigers pitcher
The Increase, part of the Sports Spectrum Network, is a community of Christian pro athletes sharing their personal stories of the decrease of self and the increase of Christ (John 3:30). Visit TheIncrease.com for more stories and videos.
