THE ED MYLETT SHOW - Saved by God’s Grace w/ Darryl Strawberry

Episode Date: January 21, 2020

Your TEST can become your TESTIMONY! In this interview, I sat down with Darryl Strawberry, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. However, we spend most of our time talking about FAITH. Darryl Strawberry is a world-class 8-time MLB All-Star, secured 4 World Series championships and was named rookie of the year during his 17 years in the league! But even with these great accolades, Darryl was fighting for something much more valuable; his life. This isn’t your regular baseball glory interview. In fact, we don’t talk much about baseball at all in this episode. This is the story of how God’s grace can work miracles in your life as we journey down Darryl’s path to redemption. Although Darryl was a beast on the field, his demons off the field often overshadowed even his greatest sports accolades. With ongoing suspensions from the MLB for substance abuse, dealing with the loss of his mother, and literally fighting for his life, Darryl was able to find salvation through the grace of God. In this interview we’re revealing it all; his childhood, the impact his alcoholic father, and how has the world at his fingertips was a catalyst to a life of addiction. I ask extremely vulnerable questions and he answers so profoundly and with all honesty. We reveal his path to recovery and how to give yourself the one thing most of us need more of in our lives; forgiveness. Darryl is not only a living MIRACLE but a living TESTIMONY. If you are in the trenches now, just getting out, or used to be there...this podcast is for YOU! If you for someone you love has struggled or continues to struggle with substance abuse, this is the EXACT sign you need to listen to this podcast. I promise it will change you. There’s a light about this man, he walks with the Holy Spirit, and I can’t wait for you guys to watch this because it’s not only eye-opening but heart-opening.

This is the Edmire Show. Welcome back to Max Out everybody. Super excited to have my guest to my right here today. All of you will recognize this man. 17 years in the big leagues, four time World Series champion, eight time all-star, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, and ironically, we're going to talk very little about that today. Which is incredible because the rest of your story is so miraculous and so bananas.

So this is Darryl Straubairry, everybody. Darryl, thank you for being here. Yeah, thanks for having me, man. I appreciate it, man. It's going to be very good today. This story is, you know, if you're listening and it's the beginning and you're a baseball fan, you're going to stick around. But for those of you that aren't, you're driving in your car, you're running on the treadmill right now. We're going to

talk today about faith. We're going to talk about redemption. We're going to talk a little bit about prison, drugs, alcohol, giving up on people. If you've got somebody in your family, maybe that's given up on you or maybe you're thinking about giving up on somebody, maybe you should revisit all of that today when you hear from this wonderful man. So I don't know where to really begin with you, but let's start out a little bit. Give them a little bit of a background for those that don't know because I followed it for a long time. But you had this incredible baseball career, but throughout that career, there was the

man behind the uniform and that guy was struggling most of the time off of the field. Would you agree with that? I think it all comes from childhood. A lot of times we see people become successful but we don't know what happens behind closed doors. And in my life, my father was an alcoholic and he used to beat me and tell me I would never mountain and I believed that.

He came home for the last time when I was 14 and he put our shotgun, say he was gonna kill the whole family. Had it not been for my mother, we would have killed him that night, me and my brothers. You any mess out of the house? Yes, her getting us out of the house and that saved him from being killed.

So what always tell people, I was already bruised on the inside. I was already wounded and scarred on the inside. And my pain, who I was already bruised on the inside. I was already wounded and scarred on the inside. And my pain, who I was, led me to my greatness. And my greatness would eventually lead me to my destructive behavior. Because I think what happens a lot of times, people don't understand, if you're not well on the inside,

it really doesn't matter what you look like on outside. Cause people project what people are from the outside. Here I am, six, six, power hitter, can do it all, play baseball, but on the inside, I'm broken. So I go on to play Major League Baseball and achieve all these great things when rookie of the year and championships and make mes a dollars and I've been privileged

my whole life at, living behind community gates, there's nothing wrong with that. You know, because I worked for that. But still at the same time, that did not make me a man. That just made me accumulate a bunch of stuff. And people thought, well, if you have money, you should be okay. But what they don't really understand from the inside,

it has to be healed. There has to be a healing process of your hurts and your habits and your hangups. And for me, it took me a very long time to come to that place. You know, I stand in a different place today, but throughout my baseball career, I was completely broken, completely empty. I think that's why the drugs took place in my life.

The alcohol, I was a womanizer. I was never faithful. You know, I lived a life of, you know, wanting whatever I wanted. Because it was at my fingertips. Yeah. People dangled at me, I was just, oh, God, take. I'll take it.

I'll see what it's like. And that's what I went through as a young athlete, you know. Did you ever know, Dara, when did you know, because you're this great player, rookie of the year, I mean, and obviously the fall baseball, just a beautiful athlete to watch play, too. So unique, special, one of the most famous people in the world at the time. Was there a point when you started to drink or use drugs that you knew you were in trouble? Were you started to know this has gotten away from me a little bit? Was there a point where you knew? Well, I think a point in time comes. I realized at the beginning that this wasn't a good road

because I started when I was 14 You know, I was already smoking marijuana at the age 14 You know a lot of people get on me about the marijuana maintenance and I really wasn't talking about a dutch You do whatever you want but for a kid to start there Yeah, and and you get to that place you realize it doesn't work anymore, so you go to the next Yeah, you know, and I started at the age of 14 and then I got into the alcohol and when I got to the big leagues that's when I got to introduce my first road trip. I got to introduce really cocaine by a veteran player. Welcome to the big leagues, send me to the back of the plane on my first plane ride.

And I just wanted to fit in. I just wanted to be a part. I didn't care. I went back there and- Who are you, 20 years old? 21. 21. I went back in and took a line and that was it.

I loved it. Just like most people will. I'm not ashamed to talk about it and so many of us are ashamed to talk about, oh, I never did drugs, I never did. Well, you've done something. Most of us have done something. We just don't want other people to know. But my story of my pain and brokenness would lead to a transformation that would be able to help so many.

And I think a lot of times as people, we don't realize because of the platforms that we have that it could be used in such a great way to help somebody else. It doesn't have to be used through the fact that, oh, I'm a great baseball player, football player, basketball player. Yeah, I was a great baseball player. Great question to about. I did it all, 30, 30, and whatever. You know, I wanted to do it on the baseball field, but when I took the uniform of who am I?

Yeah. That's a lot of questions, a lot of us ask ourselves, and yeah, we can run around with our titles and all the things we achieve. But in real reality, one day that's gonna be over The lights will be off Yeah, you know you won't run on the field anymore and and nobody's gonna be cheering like they used to cheer for you Now who are you and I think a lot of times

by the athletes and people and and in the different industries they and people and in different industries, they struggle with that because they can't come to a place. Who am I really, not with the uniform also? Yeah, you're right. Their identity's tied up in what they do. And I want to talk about a lot of different things as it relates to this. I want everyone to hear in this.

I want you to understand something. Your test can become your testimony someday. And I remember watching from a distance as the things that weren't good in your life were happening. I remember when you got a rest of her, he had to go to a prison for a while, and then you had colon cancer. You had all these other things.

If you had to think back at that time, how amazing God is everybody, that during that time, this man's entire story, God was preparing him to change other people's lives during that moment. It's so miraculous, isn't it? That is so good, because that is so true true and that's what it really was all about. It was your test to be able to have a testimony.

Yeah. Because you got to, you must pass the test to really be able to have a testimony because I can talk about my athletic skills and achieve in that. That's different but the test of life. You know like you said ending up in the Florida State Prison with a T17169, which I never forget, which having cancer twice and losing my left kidney and having God doing for me, what I couldn't do for myself

in those situations was pretty powerful because it comes to a place later on in my life, the transformation would become real. And it's evidence that his hand is old, It comes to a place later on in my life, the transformation would become real. And it's evidence that his hand was always all over my life, and all of my life now, and give you the platform. You know, and I remember when he called me, and I said, I'm not qualified to do this.

He says, no one is qualified. I qualified to call. I just loved that. I just love that. So it was a process that I had to go through and I take a lot of times people to understand the process. I had to sit for seven years with God to be discipled because the Bible talks about it, it says my people perish because of lack of knowledge. Not just, you know, that most people get consumed with all the earthly things.

Yeah. But they never understand the kingdom things. The kingdom is greater than the earth and I think so many of us missed at it. And I was missing that for such a very long time because I was wondering why the fall, let me, let me say this to you again. Yeah. Had I not fallen, I probably would have made another 50 million dollars plant baseball, but I wouldn't have never met Jesus.

Because it would have kept me separated in that same place. And not saying that you can't live and how wonderful things and live comfortable, because we all do it, even as a believer. But the things don't have me. You know, I'm free on the inside. You know, I live in a home, I have a car. But the joy, you know, the joy is, it comes from the Lord. You know, it doesn't come from, you know,

the earthy things I have because I've already lived behind the gates and had all the earthy things. And I remember having all that, but I was never happy. You said something else, you were driving. I was telling you when you came here, by the way, I love what you just said about, you can have the things, but they can't have you. There's nothing wrong with chasing material things.

I talk about that in my messages all the time. But if you want to give yourself a great gift, everybody, I would go to YouTube and I would watch some of Darryl preaching and speaking. I listened to a lot of different people, but I was telling you over the last few weeks, I was already prepared for this interview because I followed you. I know enough about you. I became kind of addicted to listening to some of your testimonies.

And one of the couple of things you said, I want you to elaborate on now, but you talked about something pretty magnificent where you said everybody had given, can give up on you, but God will never give up on you. And that was something I was crying, I literally kind of a man alone in his car, you know, I'm like, you kind of got that face you get,

because my eyes were watering because I've always felt the comfort of God in my life. I've always just felt like he's had his hand on me that as much as I love my children, it's amazing to think as a father, as much as you love your children, that the Lord loves you even more than that, right? But would you speak to that for a minute?

I just want people to hear the way you say it. Yeah, that's so true, because everybody will give up on you on the natural, because they look at you from the natural standpoint, and God looks at you from the supernatural, because He created you, and He knows when He brings you back to the place, it's not man doing it, it's Him Himself.

So now He's created the image of him inside of you. Why everybody else is talking about you and persecuting and saying negative things about you. And he says, well, I'll take you because I'll mold you and I'll put you back together. And he said, I will never leave you nor forsake you while everybody else is giving you away. I'll use you for my glory.

And that's the greatest thing about it is you get to be used for his glory. And what's the greatest thing about it is you get to be used for his glory. And what is his glory about at the end of the day? I think so many of them miss it. It's not about us. You know, he moses back together to go love others and help others and encourage others and build others up to say, I was just broken peace and I was left for dead, but I was given this grace that I don't deserve. And when we can understand that, when we can understand it as people, the grace that is given to us, you don't deserve it.

Now you know, really know who God is. Now you can have this really comfortable relationship with him. And I don't have to be a pretender anymore. I got to a place where I just didn't want to strut or offense anymore and be a hypocrite, talking about, I know Jesus, but I really don't have to be a pretender anymore. I got to a place where I just didn't want to straddle that fence anymore and be a hypocrite talking about, I know Jesus, but I really don't know him. I just know his name, but I don't know his power. His name is great, but his power is greater.

And he brings more to you to be able to do and go back and get somebody else who is hurting. And a lot of times, they don't look like you, which we are afraid of as people. As people that don't look like us, because we are afraid of as people. As people that don't look like us, because what we look like, or we look like I was a million there, a plan major league baseball,

so that's those people problem. No, that's not a problem, they didn't sign up for that. You know, and God gives us, God gives us the opportunity, He gives us the opportunity to be able to go back and say, your life matters, no matter what you've been through,

you're not a mistake. You just made a bunch of mistakes. That's all it is. I think people are tuning in to them and they're like, is this Darryl Strawberry and Ed Mylett talking about it? And they're like, wow, you're not a mistake, you've just made mistakes. Brother, that's so good. Just let that sit on me for a minute. Hey, everybody needs to hear that, including me. You said something else, this's so good. Just let that sit on me for a minute. Hey everybody needs to hear that including me. You said something else, this is so good. We're going to run out of time in 35

minutes from now. I'm going to be ticked off because this is so good. But you said something else. I'm driving in the car and I've never heard someone say this before. And this is important for someone like me. Those are having some success right now. Some progress or you're kind of tied to your career, whether you're a big league baseball player, a business person, or even whether your identity is your mom, that's your career. You said something about that, you know, the adversary, one of his great forms of deception that he'll use on us is preventing us from ever really getting to know ourselves, our true selves, that we connect ourselves to what we do or what our career is.

And I literally rewinded that part and listened to it again. Would you talk about that for a second? Yeah, the enemy himself, he sets us up and decieves us and makes us believe that this is good. I'm great because I'm hitting home runs and I've been successful and I'm making millions of dollars and what people don't understand, what he keeps you focused on is I, yourself. That's what he keeps you focused on, not anything else.

You're never a part of what's important when it becomes team and winning. It becomes about one person, what I'm doing. And he deceives us and makes us believe that it's all about us. And then we take the wrong turns because now the ego's gotten away. Okay, what's the man's ego, a three-letter word, easing God out? That is the ego that the enemy keeps us. Now we can ease God out. Now he knows that I could tear you up because you got an ego. You know, he's very smart, he's very clever. He always have been from the beginning. I think a lot of us just never

pay attention to it. You know, and yeah, I'm a Christian, I'm a evangelist now and I know the word of God. And you know, the Bible is clear to me, and it talks about my people's powers because of lack of knowledge. See, people think they're not parishing because they have earthly things, but inside their parishing, because they will never receive the eternal things, you know, because all the earthly things have made me feel well, and this is what the enemy does. He's the receiver where He makes you believe. All this is good. You know, that's what He does to all of us.

You know, here, here you can have all this. I mean, He even did that to Jesus. And when I look back and Matthew 4 or 4, He tempted Him with all the earth He thanks. I'll give you all this. I'll have you all this. Just bow down to me. I'll let you have the stuff.

But Jesus said to him, it is written, mentioned not only by bread alone, but by everywhere that proceeds out of the mouth of God. See, that's the difference in us and him, rebuke him and go and keep going about the business that he was sent forward to do. And that's the same thing that we have to learn. I mean, I'm not over the top. I don't preach, preach, you know, but I love people. You know, I want people to have what God has given to me because it's freely given. You know, it's this free gift to give to us

to be able to go back and love others and help others. And, you know, so we have to be extremely careful about, you know, titles and success. You know, because it's earthly titles and success because none of it gets in You're right. I buried my mom at the age of 55 from terminal breast cancer. I buried my sister at the age of 51 They didn't take the house with them. They didn't take the car with them and I've had cancer twice And lost my left kidney in my second surgery. So you talk about a miracle, you're looking at a living miracle and a living testimony of what God can really do in a life and how you can restore a life to wholeness. This is about faith. Ed, this is about

having faith, you know, and I think people get it wrong and think, oh, that's not important to me because if I if I have to live this way, then I have to live by these principles, you know. And it's great to live by God's principles and commandment when you know it. And, you know, I'm a sinner, but I just don't practice anymore. Ha-ha-ha!

That's so good. Because you, I met you. You walked in, who we had not met. We got a bunch of each of friends. We had not met. Honestly, there's kind of a light about you, brother. There's the Holy Spirit on you. Your goodness is shines through now.

And I'll bet if I met you 25 years ago, that I would not see that exact same light, even though it was inside you, it was not reflecting out of you, because we all have that light in us. But sometimes our sin, our life, I'm a product, by the way, of knowing I can test to everybody that I want you to have an ocean front house

It's great. I want you want to have a jet or a nice car. That's great But I can promise you all that I know because I've got the stuff you want that that's not gonna fill you up It's not gonna fulfill you. It's not that I can't make you happy of course mind a nice pair of shoes Or it can make you happy, but it won't fulfill you long-term. So what happens? So here's this guy Great baseball player one of the greats I've ever seen play, and probably what you said is true. If there wasn't all this off the field stuff, almost certainly in the Hall of Fame,

you already got a thousand RBIs, already hit 350 home runs, was rookie of the year, all star four world championships, and just hit bombs, by the way, just flat bombs. And so there's this man, and then he starts to have this drug world championships and just hit bombs by the way, just flat bombs. And so there's this man and then he starts to have this drug and alcohol addiction problem, cancer twice. And then, and by the way, I've been, I've even had a couple times where you thought you

had it lick drugs or alcohol and then you didn't. What happened that has created this man for the last, well how long have you been sober now? 16 years. 16 years. What happened? Well, it's really simple because it's what God always do. He's not going to do anything different.

He's going to always use people to help people. People, okay. People to help people. My mother prayed for me when I was a sinner and a heathen and a womanizer that God would knock me off my throne. She went home to be with the Lord, and her prayers came to pass. God knocked me off my throne. She went home to be with the Lord, and her prayers came to pass. God knocked me off my throne,

and met me right where I was at. Found me in the pit, and put me in the pulpit. My wife pulled me out of the dope house in 16 years when everybody else, 16 years ago when everybody else had given up on me. And I was shooting dope, smoking crack, and I wanted to die. And I said, why don't you just leave me here

and you and that God and let me die. And I said, why don't you just leave me here and you in that garden, let me die. And she said, you're just not that lucky. It's not good. So there it is right there. As people, it's like, do we respond to people help? Or do we keep our egos and our pride? See, my wife was very clear to me about getting well, because she was already well and had a relationship with God. And then she was very clear to me about getting well, because she was already well and had a relationship with God.

And there she was very clear about taking off the uniform. You're not Darryl Strawberry number 18 anymore. Take the uniform off and become a man. And that's when the promises that are over all our lives. See what you're living in, Ed, and I'm living in, we're living in the promises of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Now we get to eat from a land that we don't even know about as God's land.

And it's good, now we get to take a seat, how really good it is. And if you're that way in the nature and you say you have all this, and why do I need God, you're gonna miss the eternal part after this life. I think everybody's more consumed with this life instead of the after ones, after life he's talking about. So so many will miss that because

they don't realize that walking with him is so much greater than not walking with him having him. So what does he do in life like mine? He rescues me from my sinful ways. He redeues me from my sinful ways. He redeems me with his blood, which cleanses me. Now he restores me with his grace, which I understand. He says, my grace is sufficient for you. For my strength is made perfect in your weakness.

So how many times we be weak? And what do we lean on? Re-learn on stuff? But at the end of our life, that's not going to save us. That's not going to bring us to the place where he's really trying to get us. And I'm so grateful for the far. I'm so grateful for my success as a baseball player. But at the same time, I'm grateful for going through the pits of life because I wouldn't

have never been able to understand the love, the true love of him because I didn't have a father. My father was an alcoholic, could beat me and never showed up in my life until I was somebody and that relationship was broken and I also ended up leading my father to the Lord, the man that rejected me. They got to hear this because I think it's such a powerful part of your story but with your dad, so share that as incredible he rejected me was out of my life and all those years and and he was in a hospital and and it was like over six About six years ago. I was doing a men's conference in California and and God says go down to the hospital and and he says

He says repent to your father and not talk about what he did to you. You repent to your father. For keeping him out of my life. And I struggle with it. And I finally did it. And I went down there and asked my father, I said, would you forgive me? I'm sorry for keeping you out of my life. And the tear came out of his eye.

And he said, yes, and I lost it. I just lay in this lap and cried so hard. And there I was crying and the man's lap that beat me and rejected me. And Lord said, lift up and I lifted up and I said, would you like to accept the Lord over your life? Because he changed my life. He said, yes. And there I was.

I was leading him, leading my father in the center of prayer. And he accepted it. And then the Lord says, I need you to always remember this. It's never about you how dare you not forgive this. It's never about you. How dare you not forgive him and I forgive you. And he says, forgiveness wouldn't for your father, the forgiveness was for me. See, because what happened was in that, it set me free forever. I was no longer in bondage anymore. I was no longer in chains anymore because it kept me bound up and then changed because I would, you know, in the change because I would never get, was able to get free from it. So it's just a life that,

wow. I know. It's a life that we live that is short. Yeah. You know, and it's like a short. It is forever. A lot of times people don't want to talk about these things. I'm listening at it. Thanks for having me on the show. I've already talked about all the worldly things I've done. If people need to see clips about that, go back and see the home runs, the trophies, the fights and everything else. Right. But today, my urgency is to help people who struggle with addiction.

There's an epidemic in America, opiates and heroin killing all these kids. And there's bullying, there's depression, there's mental illness, there's suicide, and so many different things. And now I got a chance to go back and raise money for programs and love on people and help people. My life today is greater than it's ever been.

Wonderful, brother. That's so wonderful. It's ever been a baseball player, trophies, being the evangelist standing in front of thousands, preaching the gospel and helping others. I got the greatest life. I mean, I'm not complaining. I'm not forcing this only anyone.

This is just who I am. Praise God, but good for you, brother. I am. There's a part of me as I'm listening to you. It's just magnificent, which you're becoming and what you're doing for God. And I know that it's not about you, but there's so many lessons.

The reason I'm letting you talk so much is that there's more to be learned from you today, certainly than for me. And the things you've said here, I just want everyone to just take an inventory about this, about people helping other people. If you're trying to find your calling in life, right? I mean, that's one of the pathways to do that

is always gonna be towards you serving other people. And this idea of the forgiveness with your father is absolutely beautiful. The idea of the adversary trying to keep us from knowing ourselves, there's so much depth all of this. And all the topics you just listed from depression, to mental illness, to drug addiction,

I've covered those things on my show before, and I'd like just from you, the drug addiction and alcohol, the substance abuse part of our culture is real, and it's pronounced. And there have been people sitting in that chair, who, while they were sitting in that chair, I knew we're under the influence,

various different times. If there's someone listening to you, has a loved one who's struggling with it, who maybe they're getting ready to give up on, or maybe there's someone listening or watching this, who's struggling with drugs or alcohol, who is maybe ready to give up on themselves. What would you say to those folks listening?

I would say to them, it's never give up on anybody because we don't have a lot of say. Because all the people that had given up on me and even my former teammates and players 16 years ago when I started walking in this way and they were saying, let's see how long it's the last. And it's been 16 years, you know, because my wife didn't give up on me and my mother didn't give up on praying on me. So, at the end of the day, we should love them, but we don't have to tolerate them.

You know, I think a lot of times people think we have to tolerate people situations we don't. We can love them. See, love is more powerful than anything you can ever imagine. When we love people right where they are and when they're hurting, because we don't never know when the light is going to come on. And we're living in today and where there is a spiritual brokenness of addiction. That's why we're in the epidemic. Spiritually people are broken and inside.

That's why they use opiates, you know, to try to escape from what's wrong with me on the inside. That's why they drink alcohol to drown themselves in alcohol. Because I was the same way. I was spiritually broken on the inside. And it wasn't until I got healed on the inside. And that's where the real victory come when one gets healed on the inside. And so we have to learn as people, it's to love each other right where they are.

And not point fingers. I always tell people when I'm preaching, I say, when you point fingers, that's somebody, guess what? Three of you are pointing right back at you. And they don't realize that because that's what we do. We point that one finger and all the three are pointing back that else telling us, you got problems too. Right, right, you're right.

So it's nothing wrong with having problems because if I sat here and said to you that I was a victim over everything that happened to me, I wouldn't have been able to get well. Yes. I'm not a victim. I'm an overcomer. You know people sitting at victim mentality of they done this to me, well you're black, you're white. God's not looking at color. People are looking at color, but he's not. He's looking at the heart of a man. He's saying, if I can take this man heart here, and I can use it for my good,

I know greatness will come out of it. But if I don't give him a heart, I see most people want to function with their head. That's right. And try to, oh, I got head knowledge. Well, where has the head knowledge gotten you? It's the heart. It's the heart that he looks at, for us,

that he knows that I can use you now because your heart is right. I've gotten you in the right place. I can give you everything. It's nothing wrong with that. And he does give us everything. But it's my heart still right. Do I still really love people?

Do I meet people right where? Do I judge people? No, I don't judge anybody. I know they judge me, but God has changed my life. There's no judgment on people. Do I meet people right where do I judge people? No, I don't judge anybody. I know they judge me, but you know, God has changed my life. You know, and there's no judgment on people. I love what you said about, um, I just want to say this because you just say so many good things, but I love what you said about you can love people. You need to tolerate them. There's a big distinction between those two things. Like I can love you through your addiction, but I'm not tolerating your addiction. Well, I can love you through your

sitting, but I don't need to tolerate the fact that you're sinning in my life. That's a huge distinction. And what you just said is so profound, everybody, if you want to like where my strength comes from and I know where yours does too, I have the blood of the King of Kings running through my body. You all forget that. You were born to do something great with your life.

He made you, in his image and likeness, to do something great. It could be in a small way or a big way. It could be your prayer for somebody. It could be your kindness. It could be a phone call, one text message to somebody, just checking in on them. These are all things you can be doing to serve other people that make you do something great with your life. And when my dad was drinking, I was this insecure, shy little boy, I would remember that, like that's my comfort. Many of you ask me, where's your confidence come from? I'm not telling you that I don't work

on all the techniques that I teach, but my ultimate confidence is God's got my back. I was born to do something great, I'm favored, and I want you to all remember that. All of you need to remember that, drive it in your car, run it on the treadmill, watch it on YouTube, wherever you are right now, you were born to do something awesome with your life.

Some of those are going to be ways no one on earth ever knows you did it. No one will ever know the prayer you said for somebody. No one will ever know the $10 you gave a homeless person. No one will ever know the text message you sent. Maybe the whole world won't know about it. Like they did his home run in the World Series, but God knows about it. And you know about it. And that's the difference you were put here to do in the world. That's good. That's so good because that's

really what it all boils down to. It doesn't boil down to the self-image of who we are. It's the image of God. Like you said, you always know he has your back. No matter what. No matter what, we become, you have to know that he has your back. Yes. No matter what, no matter what, we become, you have to know that he has your back. That's right. Behind everything that you're doing. You're literally never alone. Yeah.

Those of you that, so many of you feel invisible and alone, you're literally never alone. And I know what that's like. By the way, guys, hey, I'm a sinner saved by the grace of God, I'm not perfect sitting here. Before Darryl got here today, there's probably sinner, saved by the grace of God. I'm not perfect sitting here. Before Darrell God here today, there's probably not 11 things I did wrong this morning. Come on.

I don't accept that I've done them. I'm not saying that I don't need to improve upon them. I'm not perfect. He's not perfect as we sit here today. Right. And that's why the power of social media is so good. That's why I use my Instagram. I use my Instagram to draw people.

I mentioned that now, because that's where they need to be following you, so they can stick out. You got a great book on marriage that I loved. You've got several great books, but you're also writing one right now. It's gonna be coming out. So where do they follow you on Instagram?

Make sure they know that. Darryl Strawberry 18 on Instagram. Darryl Strawberry 18 on Instagram, if you wanna follow me, but my message that I sent out there is affirmation of good stuff, of helping and loving and helping other people and caring for other people. I don't care if God ever gives me anything else again. He's giving me joy to help others.

That's so good to be able to wake up and know that and get outside of yourself. My new book that I'm coming out is called Turn Your Season Around. It's going to be called Turn Your your season around with Zondervant. I'm just signing up with them to do a new book that will turn your season around. And the reason why I'm saying turn your season around, because I remember when I had a first half of the season and the media was saying, well, his season's over, but they forgot I had a second half to go. So that's just like in life. People think, well, I went through the first five, six months

as hard, but you got another six months to go. Yes. And you could turn that season around. You could turn it around with doing positive things and getting the acts. I tell people, why they don't get well? And first of all, you got to be free on the inside. You can't be consumed with all these earthly things and making them

be the satisfaction of who you are. And if you can get to the place where you get free on the inside. And now, the next step, what's the next step? You got to get into action. People don't want to get into action. They want the miracle, but they don't want to get into action. They sit around, where's the miracle? Why is it not for me? And he's got a guess what, baby? I got into action 16 years ago. I got up, I picked myself up and I got into action and I started following the different road and it wasn't the road that I was believing was right.

It was the road that God showed me was right. That's so good. And by the way, that season could be in your life. It could be, you've had a 20 year season to go on the wrong way, a 40 year. Yes. You're gonna be 60 years old. And could be, you've had a 20 year season to go in the wrong way, a 40 year. You're gonna be 60 years old. And so far, your life has a minute. You can turn the season around.

So powerful. I wanna ask you a vulnerable, honest question here too. Not that we haven't been doing that. But first off, I think it's awesome that people that followed your career, that maybe haven't followed the last 16 years, you're like, that's Darryl Strawberry? This is awesome.

I love this Darryl Strawberry, right? Like, I just think it's so cool what you've become and how God's used you. I just do. I love it. And God can use all of us in His own unique way. Now, I am curious though, because I struggle with things to this day. I'm pretty open about them on social media. What day to day now for you? Are struggles for you? What do you struggle with? Do you struggle with missing plan baseball? Do you struggle with your sobriety? Do you struggle with elements of your fate?

What does Darrell Strubbery struggle with? I don't struggle with missing plan baseball. I don't struggle with my sobriety. I already know I'm not going back. I don't struggle with the day-to-day things. A lot of times I struggle because I travel 250 times out of the year to different from place to place. And I struggle when I go there to speak and I might have an impact.

It's not about me. It's just the nature of the flesh. A lot of times we're thinking this us because, you know, I see people and I lead people and what I struggle with is because I lead people and I know people are hurting. And I want them to really, to be able to believe that they can be free, you know, because God just don't set one person free. Why would He just set Darryl Strawberry free?

You know, the thing about it was, is I entered in and I try to get people to make that commitment and And that's one struggle, you know for so many people because I have such an urgency and and and passion and burning desire for people that are OD and in dying I have a real passion for that because for the grace of God, they go, I, and I should have been dead. And I see people dying and they don't have to die. If they can take, you know, some steps in a real direction, they can find recovery. And

that's one of my real burdens, what I struggle with, because I've seen the epidemic and I've seen 152, 160, whatever it is, a day dying. And it just blows mine. This is not about being politically correct. I think a lot of times people think, well, it's about politics. And it's not about politics. This is about a brokenness that's real.

And it's captivated our young people. And they don't even have a chance, because I've seen them from days of 18 to 25, come in addicted and young girls at 19 years old, that old E2 and three times. And that really breaks my heart. I struggle inside with that. Like, God, why is this happening?

Why is this happening like this? It is today, just like the crack epidemic when they came in and swept across America in the cities and all the black and African-Americans end up using crack as they end up smoking crack. But I end up shooting dope too, but why would you spare me and why are these kids now having a chance to live? And that's really hard for me. That's really... I think what some people do need, they need treatment.

I think they also need a role model or an example. And I think if you have somebody in your life who's using drugs, maybe have them watch today's show. Maybe today's show would be powerful for them to just hear your testimony and what's happened with you. Just this weekend in Boston, 32 kids O.D. Six died and 32 O.D. just in Boston this week.

And it breaks my heart to hear that too. And I think they need more and more more role models because I watched what you went through. And now I'm hearing your story now. And I'm moved to know that someone like you is willing to stand up with these kids. I'm just, I'm proud of you. I just watched you from afar.

I was a fan obviously when I was younger. But I'm proud of you. You have proud of you. I just watched you from afar as a fan, obviously, when I was younger, but I'm proud of you. You have a degree of humility and kindness about you. And I will have what you said about the work too, the parable, the soul, and the Bible's real. I mean, there's kind of a contract you have with God. I mean, you've got to be at least willing to plant some of the seeds if he's going to provide a harvest in your life, right?

And some of those seeds are going to get picked off by the birds or the weather or the rain or the wind. But if you keep planting seeds, there's a promise there's a harvest in your life. And I think you're reaping the harvest now of all these seeds you've been planting. So having said that, I know today was a little bit stronger on faith than everyone's used to seeing on my show, but I wanted people to hear this message today

from your perspective. And I want, first I wanna thank you, but I'm gonna have you answer one more question. But I want to thank you because I watched something with you that I want everybody to see. And I told you this off camera. When Darryl first started evangelizing, he was good. But he even said in the beginning, he didn't think that he didn't want to be called, right? And but what you did was I've watched you step into this calling of yours and I've watched

you get better and better and better to now, I know a lot of the more well-known people in the Christian preaching business and I find myself listening to you and it has nothing to do with the fact that you could flat mash when you played baseball. It's because your message resonates with me. My point is I've watched your giftedness flourish and grow as you've stepped into this very uncomfortable space. And all of you out there have a giftedness in a calling whether they're being sales or business or as a parent or getting up and speaking in public or whatever it might be and you might not feel like you should be favored to do it,

but the more you step into, you're calling the better and better you get. You're outstanding now. You're so good. And you're who I've been listening to. So last question would be this, and I think I know where you're gonna go, but I want to give you the floor for it.

I'm someone listening to the show today. I'm just not, I'm who you described in the beginning of the show. I'm not where I want to be in my life. I'm not where I want to be financially. I'm not where I want to be in my life. I'm not where I want to be financially. I'm not where I want to be in a relationship. My body, my health, my spirituality, my faith, I'm just not happy.

What would your message to me be? I'm broken. Okay, you're broken. Well, my message would be clearly to you is, it doesn't happen overnight. It's a process. And I think what happens with people is they won't walk through the process. They won't walk through it for a certain period of time then they quit. And my message to the people today is don't quit. You know, don't quit. Had I quit, I wouldn't have never been a

four-time World Series champ, I't have never been a four-time World Series champ, I wouldn't have never been an eight-time All-Star. Because there were things said to me when I was playing in the minor leagues that I came close to Quitting baseball. You just can't give up because you don't know what's on the other side.

And I think so many people don't push themselves enough. See, I was great because I pushed myself. I didn't have a great home life, a father, my mother raised five of us by herself. So, but I kept pushing myself. I kept not giving up, not quitting. And I sit here today because I didn't quit. When the odds were against me,

when everybody else had threw me away and said he's done. There I was rising up again because I didn't quit and I allowed myself to go through the process. I didn't get like this overnight. You guys need to know, God set me for seven years before you ever decided to look at me. So it was a process and I had to be extremely patient. But he said, I want you to go after me, like you went after baseball and how disciplined you was in baseball, you had to be disciplined the same way with me.

And I went through that whole process for seven years of growing and learning and studying and separating myself from worldly things and people. But I didn't go back. And the problem with most people, if it's eating and not believing in myself or whatever is, you can't keep going back to what someone else has said to you if you plan on having the victory. Because if you plan on having the victory, you're going to have to believe it yourself. And I encourage people, you can reach any goal you want to reach. I mean, I

reach goals, you know, from a baseball standpoint, but I reach goals from a personal standpoint of living a life that's fulfilling now and loving others and helping others and reaching others right where they had and never throwing anybody away. God, did you? So good. So good. Darryl, thank you for today. It succeeded my expectations, and I knew it was gonna be really, really good, but it helped me today. You, I guess I, a little bit choked up there, but you helped me today.

You make me want to be a better man. You make me want to serve God better. And I'm proud of you, and I wish you continued success, and I'm in your life now. So if you ever do that for me, you have a dear friend right here. Thanks, man.

Thanks for helping me, brother. You got it, buddy. You got it, buddy. And remember this everyone too, when Darryl said this about, you're not giving up on yourself, not quitting, God will never quit on you. He's with you all the way to the end and beyond forever. And so remember that in your life everybody. And also remember to follow this guy on Instagram, follow me because we can help you every single day. I run the max out two minute drill as you all know on Instagram every day. I want to connect with you. I don't want to just make messages or do shows. I want to connect with you. I want to know what's going on in your life. So I can bring guests and create content that serves you.

So what I do every day is I run a two minute drill on Instagram. It's very simple. I make a post every day, five days a week, Monday through Friday, about 730 Pacific time, 1030 post every day, five days a week, Monday through Friday, about 730 Pacific time, 1030 Eastern every day. When I make that post, if you make a comment on the post within the first two minutes, that's number one, or make a comment on other people's comments, or if you miss the first two minutes, just make a comment every day on all my stuff at any time, five, eight hours later, whatever.

We do drawings every day. We pick a winner every day. Then at the end of the week, we pick a bunch of winners as well. And they win coaching calls with me, meetings with my guests, max out gear, ride on my jet. Come on. It's a see me speed. Come on. It's pretty good stuff, right?

That's awesome. So would you ever, would you do a one minute ten minute call with somebody for us? I would. All right. I would. You would. For real? Okay. So one of you is going to get a chance to meet Darryl Strawberry for ten minutes and have a ten minute interaction with him to our corner. You right there.

You got it. It's all good. I love people. Okay. I know you do it. So they'd chance to meet Darryl Strawberry for 10 minutes and have a 10 minute interaction with him to our corner. You got it? It's all good. I love people. I know you do. So they'd love to meet you. Guys, every day on Instagram, connect with me for the two-minute drill. Engage, follow me there. God bless you and max out.

This is the end money show.