From Suicide to Serving in Uganda: A Former MLB Wife Reflects on God’s Guidance
By Movieguide® Contributor
From an MLB wife to serving others in Uganda, Gari Meacham continues to see God’s guidance in every area of her life.
When Gari met Bobby Meacham in college, she knew nothing about baseball. But Bobby was a first-round draft pick for the St. Louis Cardinals, and after they married, baseball became her world.
The couple moved nearly 50 times in their first 10 years together as Bobby was traded from the Cardinals to the New York Yankees. From there, he played for the Texas Rangers, Pittsburgh Pirates and Omaha Royals.
During their time in New York, the couple started a Bible study. Eventually, Bobby retired and began coaching.
At the same time, Gari felt led to share how God transformed her life after surviving an eating disorder and suicidal thoughts as a young woman. She began speaking anywhere from living rooms to stadiums and wrote a book.
“You can’t speak what you don’t know,” she said. “For years, God was teaching me.”
God continued to guide her ministry, eventually leading her to a short-term mission trip to Uganda that would change her life.
Gari eventually helped found The Vine, an organization in Kamuli, Uganda, that focuses on empowering women, educating children and caring for orphans.
As she continues her work there, Gari reflected on how her husband’s baseball career prepared her for her ministry now.
“I sometimes wish I could go back to certain times and do it again,” she expressed. “I’d probably do it more calmly and with less groaning. I’ve learned almost everything I know about trusting the Lord from baseball.”
“God had us where He had us for a reason,” Gari added. “Even now, we see the fruit of those years. The things we learned about ourselves were invaluable.”
For those seeking God’s plan for their life, she advised, “You have to commit to praying. Ask God, ‘What do You want me to know? What do You want me to do?’”
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