Shattered: Struck Down, But Not Destroyed

Cincinnati Reds pitcher Frank Pastore stepped onto the mound in Dodger Stadium to throw another fastball—something he’d done thousands of times since childhood. But this time was different. The batter connected and the ball came rocketing back to the mound, shattering not only Frank’s pitching elbow—but also his dream of getting “rich and famous” through Major League Baseball.™ As he walked to the training room, Frank found himself asking a God he didn’t believe in, “Why is this happening to me?” There was no answer—at least not then. It was this injury that sent Frank, a lifelong atheist, on a journey that would change not only his mind but also his whole life—as a husband, father, friend, and troubled son. We all know the pain of shattered dreams. We’ve all wondered how to pick up the broken pieces after a crisis. We’ve all wondered, “Where is God?” when life hurts so bad. This is a story of how the fragments of broken dreams can be reassembled into even bigger and better things. A story of how, when life’s disasters and difficulties knock us down, they don’t have to destroy us. This is a story that shows how all of us can come to know we’re in God’s good hands. Even when we’re shattered.