As kids, many of us dream big. Maybe it’s hitting the game-winning home run, standing on a championship stage, or finally reaching the moment that we believe will make it all worth it. For Ryan Thompson, that moment came when he pitched in the World Series with the Tampa Bay Rays—a dream he’d carried since he was little. And yet, standing on that field under the bright October lights, he felt…empty.
“I just remember standing out on that field looking around and just being like… huh. This is it?” Ryan recalled.
Even after reaching the pinnacle of his sport, the deep satisfaction he had always imagined wasn’t there. There were no tears of joy, no overwhelming rush of meaning—just a quiet realization: he had placed his hope in something that could never truly fulfill him.
And that’s the hard truth for many of us. We chase accomplishments, promotions, relationships, recognition—good things! But none of them can carry the weight of our hope. The success we thought would satisfy ends up being just another moment, quickly passed, quickly forgotten.
As Ryan later reflected:
“I was seeking fulfillment in something that doesn’t offer fulfillment… only Jesus Christ can offer you that.”
Jesus offers what the world cannot: a hope that does not disappoint. The things of this world are like a cup that constantly needs refilling. But Christ is the cup that’s always full—overflowing with love, grace, purpose, and joy that doesn’t depend on outcomes or titles.
Ryan’s story isn’t about losing hope. It’s about finding it—real hope—in Jesus.
The moment on the field may not have fulfilled him, but the moment in his heart when he realized where true joy comes from? That’s the victory that lasts.
Ryan would later go on and pitch again in the World Series, this time with the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023.
Father, thank You for reminding me that the things of this world were never meant to satisfy our soul. Forgive me for the times I’ve looked to success, approval, or accomplishment for satisfaction. I want to place my hope in You—the only One who never changes, never runs dry, and never lets me down. Fill me with Your joy and help me to live with eternity in mind. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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