Holy Spirit

We can have confidence that when the world

tries to stop our witness, the message will continue to bear

fruit and the messengers will continue to speak out.

On July 15, 1986, Roger Clemens started his first All-

Star Game. In the second inning he came to bat, something

he hadn’t done in years because of the American League's

designated-hitter rule. He took a few uncertain practice swings

and then looked out at his forbidding opponent, Dwight

Gooden, who the previous year had won the Cy Young award.

Gooden wound up and threw a white-hot fastball past

Clemens.

With an embarrassed smile on his face, Clemens

stepped out of the box and asked the catcher, “Is that what my

pitches look like?” “You bet it is!” he said. Although Clemens

quickly struck out, he went on to pitch three perfect innings

and be named the game's most valuable player. From that

day on, he later said, with a reminder of how overpowering a

good fastball is, he pitched with far greater boldness.

Sometimes we forget the Holy Spirit within us and

how powerful our witness can be. We can have confidence

that when the world tries to stop our witness, the message will

continue to bear fruit and the messengers will continue to

speak out.