Craig Clouston

All-Star

… A people belonging to God …
1 Peter 2:9

He was the premiere player in the league; his followers numbered in the tens of millions. A good man and role model, every kid wanted to be just like him; most adults wanted to get to know him. Every corporate group wanted him to endorse their product. And for good reason. His devoted followers bought everything he put his name on.
His business manager had needed to hire an assistant to help with the enormous number of calls asking for an appearance from this sports phenom. His life had become a series of scheduled appointments. But he didn’t mind; to him, it was part of his notoriety. He wanted to give back to the sport that had given him so much.
One night while walking through his old neighborhood, he was wounded in a drive-by shooting. His career was over.
When his sponsors found out he’d been partially paralyzed, his stock and appeal plummeted; the endorsements stopped coming.
Tragically, besides his sister, Sheena, only his closest friends stuck by him.
Sheena had always been there. Having kept him grounded in the fame, she continued to encourage him in this setback.
Slowly, with determination, he began to get better. As a Christian, the same inner strength that had served him in his sports career fueled his determination to rise above his so-called disability. He was, in fact, an all-star.

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When the dust settles on our lives, what’s left is who we are. What each of us needs to know is that we belong to God. He has given each of us a unique gift, and we are expected to contribute to society. Just because we don’t excel in sports, have a net worth in the millions, or do something exciting does not negate our usefulness.
We may not picture ourselves as a tremendous success, but that does not exclude nor exempt us from being productive members of society. Whatever your disability, perceived or real, you are to make an impact on those you come in contact with. You belong to a God big enough to make you an all-star. It’s up to you to get in the game.

Prayer

“I want to feel like I make a difference, Lord. Change my perspective of who I am and use me to affect lives for Your kingdom. Amen.”