We are all called to live out our particular mission in God’s world. No matter who we are, God has a special plan for us — whether we will play a center-stage role or are destined for simpler pastures, we are ALL called by God. And because we are all different, all of our vocations are different.

Celebrated New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera knows this better than anyone. For the last 17 years, Rivera has been one of Major League Baseball’s most prolific closers. After a long, satisfying career in baseball, Rivera plans on stepping out of the ballpark and into his wife’s church. When he retires from the game, he will help his wife Clara at her parish Refugio de Esperanza in New Rochelle, New York, — near the city and the ballpark where he won the hearts of Yankees fans everywhere. In this New York Magazine article, Rivera acknowledges his pitching gift as a way to give glory to God, saying, “He could give it to anyone he wants, but you know what? He put it in me. He put it in me, for me to use it. To bring glory, not to Mariano Rivera, but to the Lord.”

Rivera’s commitment to his faith is an excellent example of how we can respond to our own individual call from God. Share this article with young adults and discuss how they can respond to God’s call in their lives.

• How did this article make you feel? What did you think about Rivera giving up his glove for a Bible?
• How do you understand your calling from God? What are you doing to live out that vocation?
• If you are unsure about your call — how are you listening or searching for it? What might you do to further discern God’s call in your life? Who can help you?
• What do you think is the church’s call from God? Or your young adult ministry’s call?