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Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend.
ATHLETE TESTIMONY - Bob Brubaker
Living Out A Dream
Wouldn't it be great to find fulfillment in living out a life long dream? The Bible tells us that God has a plan for our lives, a plan that is much bigger and better than we could ever imagine or dream. God gives us dreams and is not out to short-circuit our dreams as many fear. Instead, the Bible tells us God will take us as we are dreams and all and make something better of our lives than we could ever imagine as we commit our lives to Jesus Christ.
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Ephesians 3:20 "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us,"
I committed my life to Jesus Christ as a child and am thankful for Christian parents and the influence of devout church leaders. After hearing several Christian professional athletes as a youngster, God placed a dream in my heart of becoming a professional athlete and using it as a platform for ministry. I worked hard to go as far as I could in athletics but injuries and a chronic asthma condition impeded my progress in seeing my dream fulfilled. That was my perspective. God's purpose, as I later discovered, was never thwarted in this race. He just had me take another route to the finish line of dreams come true.
Isaiah 55:8-9 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. 9 "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts."
God's plan was actually just the opposite from mine. I saw myself pursuing an athletic career and using that as a stage for ministry. God's plan had me pursue ministry before I would be ready to handle the athletic career. As I followed God's plan in ministry first, God blessed me to find help with the asthma. God connected me with doctors who introduced me to some new medication that kept my asthma in check. For the first time in my life I could actually run long distance. Like a kid with a new toy, I explored longer and longer distances, eventually completing my first marathon in 1984. The long distance running provided great moments of meditation and time to communicate with God. It was apparent God was using this to prepare me for something more. As my running increased God provided some fantastic opportunities to speak in schools, churches, conferences, seminars, on the radio and even television. Looking back, I can see how God was using all of this to prepare me for something more.
Along the journey of dreams come true, God took me from running marathons to racing bicycles, to triathlons where I seemed to find a real niche. Squeezing training time into the midst of a hectic ministry schedule provided many benefits from the training, the friendships, and the competitions. I completed my first Ironman distance race (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26.2-mile run) in 1992 and I was confident that this was the track that God had for me. In 1999 I was blessed to obtain a slot in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii so I wrote to Hormel Foods, Inc. requesting sponsorship as the SPAMMAN at the IRONMAN. I had become the brunt of many jokes for my enjoying SPAM, making it part of my training regimen and rather enjoyed being label "THE SPAMMAN." Hormel bought the idea and I participated in the Ironman as THE SPAMMAN. I could never have imagined how God used this occasion to open many doors of ministry along with some notoriety via nationwide media. Hormel has since renewed my contract in 2000 and 2001, sending me around the country to participate as the SPAMMAN in a variety of triathlons. God continues to amaze me at the way He uses the "SPAMMAN, the Ironman triathlete with asthma" platform to minister to many people.
Although I am not highly recognized for my athletic ability, I am a sponsored athlete who gets paid for my participation in triathlons. While training one day I had the greatest revelation. I am a professional athlete, in the strictest sense of the term. God has blessed me to be the SPAMMAN and has blessed me to enjoy many exciting opportunities to minister as a result. I am living out a dream.
God has a plan for your life too. It begins when you say yes to His control, knowing He is not out to ruin your life but to give you hope and a future. If you would like to know more about finding and living a life of hope for your future, check out this link website or contact me.
Philippians 4:13
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.