Forget the fantasy, enjoy the adventure you're on
I saw the email and smiled. It was an invitation to the Detroit Tiger Fantasy Baseball Camp next January. If you are a baseball fan, it's one of those things you dream about doing. I checked out the details just for the fun of it. For $4,999, you get deluxe accommodations for eight days and seven nights, authentic Tiger home and road uniforms, and a chance to meet your heroes.
Several years ago my good friend, Greg, a rabid Red Sox fan, went to a Sox Fantasy camp. I can still see his face as he shared stories from his experience. He laughed as he told me that he got hurt playing third base diving for a ball. He confessed that he was trying to impress the former players that were there. From what I heard, three others joined him in the infirmary that week.
Greg was all smiles as he showed me his personalized jersey and all the takeaways that came from the camp. The best part, he said with a big grin on his face, was the time spent after hours with the Sox players. They shared their stories and made him feel like he was a part of the team. Sitting with Bob Stanley, Dwight Evans and Luis Tiant was a dream come true. I was jealous.
The fantasy camp is a little too costly for me to seriously consider but one can dream, right? The idea of getting up close and personal to our heroes seems to be a common theme today. There was a question making the rounds on Facebook awhile back that asked, "Who was the most famous person that you've met in person?"
Answers ranged from famous sports personalities to well-known actors and performers. The most famous person I ever met was Tom Wopat, who played Luke in the television series, "The Dukes of Hazzard." I was outside the Marquis Theatre in New York City when this guy drove his motorcycle up on the sidewalk right behind me. He pulled off his helmet and got off the bike.
As he walked by me, I said, "Do you know who you are?" He said, "Yes," and just kept walking. I turned to Lori and the girls and said, "That's Luke Duke!" Wopat was starring in "Annie Get Your Gun," the show we were going to. Meeting someone famous can cause you to lose your head. It happened to me that day. It also happened to three guys named Peter, James and John.
In Matthew 17, we read that they went up the mountain with Jesus. At the top they had their own fantasy camp experience. One minute they were with Jesus. A few minutes later they were standing there with Moses and Elijah as well. They couldn't believe what they were seeing. I don't blame Peter for wanting to set up camp and stay a while. He was living out his fantasy.
We want to hold onto these moments and relive them over and over again. What Peter failed to realize, and we sometimes forget, is that when we are with Jesus, we are with God himself. Talk about being in the presence of greatness! You can't do better than that. So don't go looking anywhere else to have your dreams fulfilled. Try camping out with Jesus and enjoy the adventure.
God bless!
The Rev. Cal Lord is the pastor of Central Baptist Church of Westerly. Reach him at calstigers@gmail.com.
This article originally appeared on The Bulletin: Forget the fantasy, enjoy the adventure you're on
