When the Chase Was Not the Calling

Your dreams are simply that - dreams.

Life has a way of throwing us off course. You can plan, train, and give everything you have to one pursuit—but sometimes, what you are chasing is not where you are actually meant to end up. And at first, that realization can feel like failure.

Coming out of high school, I truly believed I was going to play professional baseball. I was a solid athlete—earned All County, All Conference, and All State honors. We did not have the tools of today with Perfect Game or live streaming games. Neither was there social media to create a brand and for scouts to discover more about who you are, while having instant access to great plays or your demo reel. Needless to say, scouts were around often. Conversations were happening with colleges, and even Major League teams. I still remember my dad walking into the room one day saying, “The Orioles and Brewers just inquired about you.” That moment stuck with me. I had a tryout with the Orlando Predators, and I was even invited to an NFL training camp. Everything felt like it was falling into place, like this was exactly where I was supposed to be headed.

But that dream did not play out the way I thought it would.

At the time, it was hard not to feel like I had missed something or taken a wrong turn. I kept wondering: Did I mess up? Was I not honoring God? Was all that effort for nothing? What I see now, though, looking back with a little more perspective, is that sports was not the final destination. It was part of the journey that led me to something deeper, something more lasting.

That pursuit taught me more than how to win or perform. It taught me about discipline, character, and what it means to keep going even when no one is watching—which is instrumental in your character which will lead outwardly for others to trust you.  It exposed areas where I needed to grow, and it gave me moments where my pride had to take a backseat. I thought that dream was going to define me, but letting it go actually helped me discover who I truly was. The truth remains, the burn to play and compete is still there and for the athletes reading, you know what I am talking about. That is the part we do not always talk about. The chase can feel so real and consuming, but it is not always the calling.

I used to think it was about arriving at a specific outcome. Now I realize it is more about who you become along the way. Do not get me wrong, vision boards is an exceptional tool to lay out your goals and getting to that specific outcome but be prepared to peel off those pictures and move them to the following year. In my personal life, in my home, at church, within the community and at my day-to-day job--I pray that my "vision board" goals that never came true are seen in my day-to-day interactions and when no one is looking.

God did not waste a single moment of those seasons. What felt like loss at the time was actually a redirection. The disappointment was not the end—it was the doorway to something new. And if you are walking through something similar, wondering why things have not turned out like you expected, I want you to know this: just because the dream shifted does not mean the purpose disappeared.

Sometimes, it is in the falling apart that things finally start to come together.

What you chase still matters. Not because it defined you, but because it revealed what God was doing in you all along. He is not just concerned with where you land. He is after your transformation. (Matthew 5:3-12)

So, no—you were not wrong to chase it. And you are not lost because it did not work out. You might be closer to your purpose now than you have ever been. As I often pray and thank God for the unanswered prayers--he knew all along what my path looked like and he is not done grading, planting and lighting my path.

"I lift up my eyes to the hills.

From where does my help come?

2 My help comes from the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

3He will not let your foot be moved;

he who keeps you will not slumber.

4Behold, he who keeps Israel

will neither slumber nor sleep.

5The Lord is your keeper;

the Lord is your shade on your right hand.

6 The sun shall not strike you by day,

nor the moon by night.

7The Lord will keep you from all evil;

he will keep your life.

8The Lord will keep

your going out and your coming in

from this time forth and forevermore." – Psalm 121:1–3, 8 (ESV)

Even in those seasons, I like to call fall, God is fulfilling his plans for you. He is leading you forward, sometimes through disappointment, sometimes through surprise, but always with purpose.