“I kept hearing his words and couldn’t get away from them,” Michael Lorenzen told me. “I couldn’t sleep because his words were just there in my mind. Over and over and over.”

He was a junior baseball star at Fullerton High School in Southern California. He displayed a confidence in life and on the field and dreamed of the day he would play in the big leagues.

He had many friends due to his stardom and personality. However, without any real church influence or positive role models in his life, he turned to drugs and alcohol.

His life changed forever on a high school homecoming night. He and his buddies headed to one of their favorite hangouts on the Huntington Beach pier.

Amidst their fun, they noticed an older man they had never seen before, who approached the group of friends and asked if he could share the story of Christ with them.

They edged closer and listened to what he had to say. Although his friends ridiculed the preacher, the stranger grabbed his attention, and Michael listened to the man’s words.

The words were about Jesus and how the Lord would save Michael if he asked.

Although he was high on drugs, he remembers the story about a Man who died for his sins. The story about how the Savior was crucified on the cross and rose three days later echoed in his mind.

“I got convicted right there,” he said. “I was high, but I knew right from wrong. I knew what I was doing was wrong and I needed to change my life.”

He gave his life to the Lord.

Today, a pitcher for the Cincinnati Reds, Michael remains motivated to tell everyone he meets about his relationship with Jesus Christ. He likes to talk about how his life was headed in the wrong direction until he became a Christian.

Do your friends need Christ? Do you want to tell them the good news?

If you have never talked to anyone about your faith, don’t feel ashamed. There are some subtle ways to let others know you are a follower of Christ.

Try these suggestions:

• Keep a Bible on your desk or in the area where others can see it. This might open the door for you to tell people it belongs to you and you read it every day.
• Display a Christian decoration inside or on the outside of your car. Some have put subtle Scripture verses on their vehicles to start a conversation.
• Use social media. This is a productive way to make your friends aware of where you stand. You can post Scripture verses and videos about your faith. You don’t have to come across as an overbearing preacher, but you can humbly let your friends know your views.

These are some tips to make you feel comfortable when you talk to others about your faith. Not everyone can be a preacher or minister, but we are all called to tell others.

This is a portion of one devotion in Del Duduit’s book, “Dugout Devotions: Inspirational Hits from MLBs Best.” It is available at New Hope Publishers and Amazon