God Needs a Pinch Hitter, Will You Step Up to the Plate?

   If you have spent at least 5 minutes around me, you know I love sports. Especially baseball. I love them because there are so many parallels to life lessons in every sport. It's so easy to turn them into analogies about life. So here is my attempt to make one...
   The bases are loaded, in the the bottom of the 9th inning, you are down by 1. You have been sitting on the bench all game waiting for a chance to prove yourself and get in the game. The coach decides to put you in as a "pinch-hitter" which means he will substitute you in the game for whoever was supposed to bat at that time. So you will hit in the place of that person. But the person you are hitting for happened to be the best hitter on the team. The coach just wanted you to have a shot at success. So now it's up to you. You are up to bat, the bases are loaded in the 9th inning. The question is...can you deliver?
   God, our Heavenly Father, is our coach. He tells us what we need to do in this life to be successful and return to Him. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is our exemplar. He came to earth and established His church by His authority, the priesthood. This priesthood he also gave to his disciples to act in His name. As He gave them this authority, He told them "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" (Matthew 28:19). They were to act in His name as they preached the gospel and establish the church. He chose them to do it. Jesus Christ is the "best hitter on the team." God has restored that priesthood on the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. That priesthood is given to every worthy man. This priesthood is the ability to act in the name of Jesus Christ to do such things as perform baptisms, heal the sick, give blessings, and preach the gospel. Since we are acting in the name  of Jesus Christ as holders of the priesthood, we are, in a sense, pinch-hitting for Christ as we minister to the sick, guide the Church, baptize, and preach the gospel.
   "Many are called, few are chosen" as the scriptures say. We could change that into "many are on the team, few are chosen to play." When we receive the priesthood, we are called into the game. We are the pinch-hitter in that tight spot. Acting in the name of Christ. He needs us to deliver. Will we be ready to step up to the plate? When the "coach" motions in our direction to go into the game, will we come through in the clutch? Or will we strike out? Anyone can play, so long as they are worthy. God has restored His priesthood, His Authority to the earth and given it to men once again. We must honor and cherish that privilege. We must do our duty: minister unto the sick and poor, bless our families, guide and lead the church as well as preach the gospel. That is our call. Let us all be ready to be called on when the game is on the line. Let's drive in that winning run instead of strike out. Let us all magnify our callings in the priesthood. God calls to us: "arise from the dust, my sons, and be men, and be determined in one mind and in one heart, united in all things, that ye may not come down into captivity;" (2 Nephi 1:21). God needs a pinch-hitter, will you step up to the plate?

Let God Help

   I have been very blessed to see a lot of success in Ridgeland, SC. The miracles seem to pour in unceasingly. Every time I see someone get baptized, it strengthens my testimony of the reality of this gospel. This past Sunday, Melissa was baptized. She is a great example of faith. I have never seen anyone who wanted a remission of their sins as badly as she did. She left so much behind and left so much at the mercy of the Lord. She truly trusts in her Heavenly Father. I have never seen anything quite like it.
   Trusting in our Heavenly Father is something we can all do more. How much do we rely on ourselves? Nephi in the Book of Mormon teaches us that it's better to trust the Lord than the "arm of the flesh" (see 2 Nephi 4:34-35). We as humans are very prone to only trust ourselves and in our own  abilities. This is especially true in men. We tell ourselves "I don't need help. I'm fine. I can handle this on my own." Don't lie to yourself. Be humble enough to get on your knees and ask your Almighty Father for help. He will help us. He is so willing and ready to help us...but we need to ask Him.
    We need to trust in Him even when it seems all is working against us. Think of the story of Job. He lost his house, his family was killed, he was afflicted with all sorts of physical ailments, and he lost his property. Yet he said  "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." (Job 13:15). We can talk to Him about anything. Our prayers are supposed to be sincere and from the heart, not anything memorized or without feeling. Talk to Him as you would talk to your best friend about your problems. He will listen. He wants to help. All you have to do is let Him...
   Prayer is an amazing gift from our Heavenly Father. It is a direct communication with Him, there is no middle man, you don't have to wait to get signal. You always have signal with Heavenly Father. You are never roaming alone. All you have to do is ask the Father in the name of Christ in faith, and "whatsoever ye shall ask...it shall be given unto you." (3 Nephi 18:20). Let God help, ask Him in prayer for anything. He always answers, He never rejects or ignores your call. He listens. He knows you, He loves you, and He wants to help. Let Him.