Rallying With God

Pro tennis was a path to a higher calling for Andrea Jaeger.

A A A Comments By Eric Dexheimer Thursday, Apr 29 2004

...continued from page 2

The purpose of the directions haven't always been immediately clear, even in Jaeger's adult life: Why, for instance, would He direct her to telephone a particular person on a given day? (Usually for a donation to her foundation, it turned out.) And His communications could seem remarkably mundane -- telling her to buy a particular piece of jewelry, say, or to find meaning in the sequence of letters in a license plate.

But they made sense to Jaeger, and, she says, all of it has been part of His plan for her. Was it just coincidence that two years ago her father, so hard on her in her childhood, was diagnosed with cancer? He died this past December -- but not before observing his daughter's real purpose in this life, which, it turns out, had nothing to do with tennis.

Andrea Jaeger serves the Lord, not tennis balls.

More About

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Weekly Newsletter: Our weekly feature stories, movie reviews, calendar picks and more - minus the newsprint and sent directly to your inbox.

"You go through life thinking things happen by coincidence," she says. "But I've always had God watching over me. God equips people. He takes ordinary people and makes them do extraordinary things."

Most recently, she says, "He told me, 'It's time to share your faith.'" Two weeks ago, Jaeger's spiritual memoir, First Service: Following God's Calling and Finding Life's Purpose, was released. It was put out by the same publisher that prints the Chicken Soup for the Soul series.

In the past, Jaeger says, she has been reluctant to discuss her faith, considering it a personal pact between her and God. Her ranch is non-sectarian. Indeed, she says, her visits to various churches have left her cold. Now, however, she wants us to know that she has been listening to God all along.

Are we really supposed to be surprised?