I twittered this the other day, and thought it fitting to fill you in on who Josh Hamilton is:

Just saw Josh Hamilton interviewed @ Home Run Derby say last year’s win paled in comparison to witnessing to millions about Jesus!

Not everybody has a story as vivid and raw as Texas Rangers’ homerun slugger Josh Hamilton. He was drafted number one straight out of high school, touted as a “can’t-miss prospect.” With this in mind, last season’s unbelievable stats should be no surprise (he’s gotten off to a slow start to this first-half of the season this year).  He broke the single-round record for most homeruns in the Home Run Derby (28), and for the year, amassed a .302 batting average, pounded in 132 RBI, and slugged 32 homers.

The only thing that’s odd about his performance is that he was drafted 9 years ago.

He’s had a long, hard road that has included multiple failed drug tests, eight stints in drug rehab, and the realization that he was fast becoming a failure as a husband and a father. But he’s been clean since October of 2005, attributing his rapid success to a grand work of God. Here’s a quote from Josh:

This may sound crazy, but I wouldn’t change a thing about my path to the big leagues. I wouldn’t even change the 26 tattoos that cover so much of my body, even though they’re the most obvious signs of my life temporarily leaving the tracks. You’re probably thinking, Bad decisions and addiction almost cost him his life, and he wouldn’t change anything? But if I hadn’t gone through all the hard times, this whole story would be just about baseball. If I’d made the big leagues at 21 and made my first All-Star team at 23 and done all the things expected of me, I would be a big-time baseball player, and that’s it.

What’s your story? Are you at the bottom right now? If so, maybe Josh’s redemption can give you hope.

Not hope that Jesus will make you healthy, wealthy, and wise.

Not hope that Jesus will make life easy.

Not even hope that he will end suffering here on earth.

His story offers hope because it shows us that God is in the business of redemption.  God cares about you more than you could ever care for yourself.  He has not abandoned you or forsaken you.  He has not left you to figure out life on your own.  He may have given you more than you can bear (for a further explanation of this thought, see Ron Edmondson’s post HERE), but His purpose is to show you that life is tougher than you can handle on your own, and that He is ready and willing to save.  He longs to redeem His people.

If you’re at rock bottom, now is the time to turn to the Lord.  He’s ready.  He always has been (Luke 11:15-32).