"Every Setback is only a setup for a Greater Comeback"

       Daniel began playing in rehab games out here in Arizona last week. He was doing well, even hitting an oppo line drive triple for his first hit back from the DL. You can imagine my excitement. It felt so good to see him back out there again after missing so much of this game he loves. That excitement was unfortunately cut short this past weekend when Daniel experienced a setback while swinging during an at bat. Saturday night, Daniel felt an immense pain shoot thru his arm and into his hand while swinging. It is the same hand that his hamate bone was removed from. The trainer out here did therapy on Daniel yesterday and he is feeling a little better today. The trainer was super informative and said it is common to feel the pain where he does because a tendon runs along the side of the hand into the arm and can get pinched when the muscles are tight causing pain. So Daniel was told that's definitely a possibility and would be best case scenario because it just takes some massaging, icing and rest to feel better. They're going to do that the next few days and see how it feels. If he is still hurting, then we will see the hand specialist again and take it from there. You can imagine our disappointment when this happened because Daniel was so close to getting ready to leave and rejoin a team.

          I can tell you though, my husband is fighter! Since going pro in 2007, he has had many setbacks. Many and most players will experience an injury at some point in their careers, in my husband's case, I feel like he has definitely experienced more then your average player. First full season, he broke his hand which was then followed by a broken hamate bone that he tried playing through. The next year, strained groin and broken thumb. Next season, pulled hamstring. Season after, strained groin. This season, slight labrum tear and broken hamate bone in which he needed surgery for. I have used this metaphor often in previous blogs, but I find it has been so relevant to our experiences... this baseball life is definitely like riding a roller coaster. 

         Getting drafted is like the feeling you get when buckling yourself into your seat. You are excited for what is ahead, you have butterflies in your stomach but you feel secure. The cart slowly starts moving as you start peaking up to your first high. Reaching that top, you feel you have a clear view of the entire coaster ahead. That's how we felt after Daniel's rookie ball season. Everything was going well for him, his team won the league championship and Daniel was awarded team MVP.  We were told he was on a "fast track" to the Bigs. We were on a high. Then came that first big dip ; aka: "the low". The one that causes your stomach to drop and comes when you least expect it as you're enjoying the high. That's how we felt with Daniel's first injury. It was new to us and caught us off guard. Looking back, although hard at the time, I am thankful for that experience. It really humbled us and changed our perspective. From that first dip, the coaster took off and cruised at a fast but steady pace until we started making our way up a high again. I know Daniel is gifted with talents for this game. When he is healthy, he is on fire. Last season he was finally healthy for the majority of the season and really put himself back on the map again. We we're back on that high, which was then followed again by the low of the injuries this season has brought.

         I am thankful that although this career has so many uncertainties, so many twists and turns, highs and lows... I can rest assured knowing that no matter where the tracks takes us along the way, it still leads us back to a safe destination and is being controlled by the ultimate conductor, my Lord Jesus Christ.

       We will continue to fight back during these setbacks. Although it's been a roller coaster, I am thankful for the opportunities baseball has brought to us. It has allowed us to travel across America and even out of the country. It has allowed us to meet some of our closest friends. My husband is getting to follow a life long dream and getting to do what he loves. I pray for health over Daniel so that he may be able to use the gifts God has given him. I also pray for trust over our hearts as we continue to surrender this baseball career and our lives to the Lord. I pray we would choose to worship in the midst of tough circumstances and that we would cease opportunities to share the love of Jesus with those around us.

1 Corinthians 10:31

"So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the Glory of God."