'God's Always Got a Plan': Atlanta Braves' Dansby Swanson Points to His Faith During World Series
The Atlanta Braves have won the 2021 World Series, crushing the Houston Astros in a Game 6 victory of 7-to-0.
Braves player Dansby Swanson tossed the final out of the game Tuesday night from his position at shortstop. Earlier in the series, he hit a game-tying home run in the seventh inning of the team's Game 4 win against the Astros on Saturday.
The 27-year-old, who was formerly with the Arizona Diamondbacks, joined the Braves in 2015.
For the Braves, it's their first championship since 1995. After Game 5, Swanson said he's simply grateful to play baseball and has faith in God's plan, regardless of the outcome.
"I'm just so thankful to be here," he told FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal on Sunday. "I really can't say it enough. Getting traded over here, at the time I didn't understand it. But God's always got a plan and if I've learned one thing is having faith in that plan will never fail you. It's one of the best things that's ever happened to me."
"I'm just so thankful to be here. I really can't say that enough."@LieutenantDans7 shares his emotions on being one win away from winning a World Series in the city he grew up in @Ken_Rosenthal | @Braves pic.twitter.com/MBeyWnrpSQ
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) October 31, 2021
Swanson has been open about his Christian faith as well as his battle for mental health.
During an interview earlier this year on the Sports Spectrum Podcast, he recalled having a panic attack that left him "paralyzed" with fear.
"I was having a hard time breathing," Swanson said. "I was having a hard time speaking, moving. I had to think about it to do it. It was all very robotic."
He started working with a mental wellness coach and created a healthy habit of focusing on important things to help calm him down. Little did he know it would lead him down a spiritual path toward recovery.
"We started to talk about things that were going to help me grow spiritually and mentally during that time," he added. "It really started to lead me down to this calling, this spiritual component."
Swanson started spending more time in Scripture and eventually started a Bible study with the Braves team chaplain, Terry Evans.
"I really started to feel like I was connecting more with myself, which in turn was connecting me more with God," Swanson said. "He's made us all in a certain way and made us to be who we're supposed to be. I felt like after I started to do that consistently, I really was embracing who He had made me to be."
He encourages everyone to get closer to God by spending more time in His presence.
"If anything, the lesson that I've learned was that you can't go wrong trusting and growing closer to God," Swanson noted. "Whatever way that works for you is what works for you. But spend time with God. Legitimately spend time in the words that He wrote through people that were on this earth. Spend time in prayer and meditation and silence. Do these things to grow near to Him."
He added, "I really started to feel His presence more, and I really started to feel more comfortable with the callings and stuff that He's put on my heart."
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