PHOTO: The incredible rise of a seventeen year-old.
PHOTO: Just five years later, Feller being sworn in by former heavyweight champ Gene Tunney.
It was like time-travel when I interviewed Hall of Fame pitcher Bob Feller. He brought me back to 1941 as quick as his fastball. The righty's career was easily the jack-rabbit start in the history of baseball. Before the age of 21, he had won 24 games in a season.
Stan Musial and Ted Williams both said he was the toughest pitcher of their era and the hardest they faced. 'The Sporting News' called him 'the greatest pitcher of all time.'
And then during the off-season in the middle of his meteoric rise, December 8, 1941 found him with pen in hand signing on to a different team: The United States Navy.
“Did you ever think about just staying behind and continuing your career?” I asked him.
“It wasn’t something you would even think about,” he said without hesitation.
Enlistment for the spiritual “world” war is something everyone must face, and often, it comes as fast as the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In a way, it’s a daily enlistment for the Christian. Each day, we must decide, “Am I in our out?”
It could take place in a grocery store or at a restaurant or with a co-worker when a world-meets-kingdom conversation or topic comes up.
When Bob Feller time-warped me back to December 7, 1941, there was no hesitation in his voice and it made me ask myself, “With all he had going for him, would I have enlisted without hesitation?” PORTAL TO HEAVEN: When Jesus presents the prize of the kingdom to any one of us, He also reveals that it comes with a “world” war. In every ongoing “enlistment,” will we sign up as fast as Bob Feller signed up for WWII?
At once they [Peter and Andrew] left their nets and followed him…and immediately they [James and John] left the boat and their father and followed him…Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus. And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?” And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him....No one serving as a soldier gets entangled in civilian affairs, but rather tries to please his commanding officer... Jesus replied, 'No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.'
Matthew 4:20, 22 NIV, Acts 8:35-38 ESV, 2 Timothy 2:4 NIV, Luke 9:62 NIV Editor’s brackets.
COMMENTS:
"When Death Asks You A Question"
Wow! Awesome word today brother! Great reality check
Frank Wray, Delmar, NY