Baseball star Torii Hunter married his girlfriend the next day after he watched a church play about heaven and hell.
Torii Hunter
Torii was raised in the church by his Christian mother, but he never took sin seriously. He didn’t pay much attention to the reality of God’s justice and His hand of discipline. Growing up in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, his childhood was difficult due to his Vietnam veteran father who had anger issues and drug addiction.
“I’ve seen my dad high. I saw him hallucinate. Crazy stuff. Little red men,” Torii recalls. “He has done tons of things, he stole my truck. He sold a truck. He’s done a lot of things.”
Their family lived in poverty. They would often go without food and electricity, because their parents were unable to pay the bill. But his Christian mom has always been the pillar of their household. It was also his older brother who encouraged him to reach his dream of becoming a professional baseball player.
Torii Hunter [@tnutts48]. Torii & Wife. Instagram, November 22, 2022, https://www.instagram.com/tnutts48/
Church Play
However, he got caught in the peer pressure of the world and got ensnared to sin. While he was playing in the Minors, he had sex with his high school girlfriend. Thankfully, God was able to rescue him from that sin when Torii got invited to a church play about Heaven and Hell.
Right after watching the play, he felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit. He immediately went out and asked his girlfriend to marry him. The following day, they made their relationship right in the Lord and got married. The couple, who lives in Prosper, Texas, now has four sons.
“I saw my life started to change,” Torii says. “I got rid of some people that were kind of holding me back.”
New Life
God also led him to his dream of making it to the Big Leagues. Torii played for the Minnesota Twins, the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and the Detroit Tigers. He was also named a five-time All-Star, a nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards winner, and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
Today, Torii is helping other men break out from the snares of sins and find Christ. He has also been learning to become a godly man.
“The definition of a man is a responsibility, protector, provider,” he says. “I’ve talked to a lot of pastors. I’ve read a lot about what a man should do. Not a man from the world. Not a man from the streets. But a godly man.”
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Reference: God Reports
Header Image: Torii Hunter [@tnutts48]. Torii Hunter. Instagram, April 8, 2022, https://www.instagram.com/tnutts48/