Daniel Nava was never supposed to be a star.

He grew up near San Mateo, California, the home of NFL quarterback Tom Brady. Brady is a superstar.  Nava’s sports career was never expected to amount to much of anything.

He was never a prospect.

He was never recruited to lead a College Baseball program.

He was never expected to make it.

When he graduated from Saint Francis High School in Mountain View, California, Nava was only 5’7’’.  His hope was to play baseball for Santa Clara University.  He didn’t make the team.  Instead, he took the volunteer job as equipment manager; performing menial tasks like washing uniforms.  His hope was that, if he stayed close enough to the team, he might one day be asked to play.

He wasn’t.

He spent two years serving as equipment managers, never making the team.  After two years, he could no longer afford to pay his tuition, so he transferred to a smaller school, the College of San Mateo College.  During his 2 years at Santa Clara, he had grown about 3 inches.  The coaches at San Mateo liked what they saw from Nava, and, this time, he made the team – as a player!  Nava performed so well at the College of San Mateo that he was able to earn a Division I baseball scholarship the following year.  The college that offered him the scholarship was Santa Clara.

Nava returned to join the team whose uniforms he once washed; this time as a player with a scholarship.  A star was born…  Almost.

Even though Nava found success at Santa Clara – batting almost .400 for the season – no one seemed to notice.  He was not heavily scouted.  He was never drafted.  He was never signed to play in the minors.

Nava, though, wasn’t quite ready to give up on his dreams.  His next option was to play for a baseball team in the independent league.  He tried out for two teams but got cut from them both.  One of the teams he tried out for was the now-defunct Chico Outlaws.  Nava didn’t make the team, however, as the season progressed, one of their outfielders stopped showing up for games.  They needed someone to take his place.  They settled for Nava.

Nava played well enough that the he caught the attention of some major league scouts.  In 2008, the Boston Red Sox decided to invest in Nava.  They paid for his contract rights, which cost them a whopping $1.00.

Nava played well enough in the minors to be called up to the Red Sox in 2010.  His appeared in his first game on June 12 against the Phillies.  He stepped up to the plate against Phillies starter Joe Blanton.  He swung at the first pitch he saw.  He hit a grand slam!

It was finally Daniel Nava’s time.

It didn’t last long.

Nava spent the entire 2011 season in Triple-A.  In 2012, he appeared in about half of the Red Sox games, being shuffled in and out of the lineup.  Unlike fellow San Mateo native Tom Brady, Nava had not become a Boston legend.

In 2013, that all changed.

The spring of 2013 was a tragic season for the city of Boston.  On April 15, a bomb exploded during the Boston Marathon, leaving a dark cloud of sadness, shock, and despair over the city.

The Red Sox next home game would not be played until June 20 against the Kansas City Royals.  In a city that desperately needed a win, the Red Sox went into the bottom of the 8^th trailing 2-1.  Nava stepped up to the plate with 2 runners on.  He hit a three-run homer, giving the Red Sox a 4-2 lead.  Closer Andrew Bailey would surrender a run in the 9^th, but the Red Sox ultimately held on for a 4-3 win.  The city of Boston burst into cheers.  Nava – a man who has become accustomed to persevering when all hope seemed lost – helped give a broken city hope.  He later told the Boston Globe; “You don’t script that stuff.  It just happens… I honestly felt honored and blessed to be a part of it.”

As the 2013 season progressed, Nava soon worked his way into the starting lineup on a regular basis.  He hit .303 for the year with 12 homers, playing a key role during the 2013 World Series Championship run.

Nava remained a part of the Red Sox through 2015.  Since then, he’s bounced around the league quite a bit.  He’s appeared in games for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, the Kansas City Royals, and the Philadelphia Phillies.  He’s currently in the Pittsburgh Pirates organization.

Nava says that his faith played a key role in his success on the field.  He told Rob Maadi on the Faith on the Field Show; “I know that if I didn’t have the faith in Jesus that I have – or even had when I was making this journey to the big leagues – that there’s no shot I’d even be here.  Fortunately, He had a lot of favor in my life and opened doors for me that I never could have done.  And I think it’s evident in the fact that I got cut so many times that even my best efforts sometimes didn’t get me any place.  So, having that to go back to – I hate to use this word – it kind of kept me centered.  It kept me grounded.  It kept me focused on – I’m playing a game and I’m grateful to play a game at whatever level it was.  But, moving forward, if I don’t make this team or if I never am a Big Leaguer, I have something beyond that that I can hold on to.  That helped a lot.”

One of Nava’s favorite Bible verses is Luke 1:37; for nothing will be impossible with God.  He explained to Rob Maadi; “Another translation is no Word from God shall be void of power.  I really like that one.  It just kind of changes things up.  I really like that.  It’s simple.  Sometimes playing this game, as a hitter, you’re reminded of how much you fail – you don’t succeed very often. And to be reminded that sometimes these things are just out of your control.  The person who actually gave me life or gave you life is far bigger than hitting a baseball.”

When things in life aren’t going the way you hope, remember the way that Nava persevered and kept working to reach his goals.  Rely on God the way that he did.  Remember that with God, all things are possible.  Trust in Him and leave your life in His hands.