The Art of Striking Out

During his major league career Babe Ruth hit 714 home runs, but he struck out 1,330 times. Ruth is known as one of the greatest hitters of all time despite having struck out 1,330 times. The “Babe” knew something about baseball that made him one of the best. I think that is what led him to say, “Never let the fear of striking out get in your way.” This is something that coaches and dad’s and mom’s need to teach their sons and daughters when they begin learning how to play baseball or softball. Striking out is a disappointing reality of the game. Everyone will swing and miss that ball three times and then take a seat on the bench. While sitting on that bench the player should grasp something just as important as any of the fielding or batting fundamentals he will ever learn. There is an art to striking out and if learned it will help a player be much better at his game. 

How to strike out is a lesson that all of us need to learn even if we don’t play baseball. You and I are going to strike out in life. We are going to make mistakes. We made mistakes when we were in school. We didn’t make a hundred on every test. We make mistakes raising our children, and we make mistakes in our marriages, at our work, in our relationships, and in our spiritual lives. We have found ourselves sitting on the bench wondering what happened. 

When we are on the bench after striking out we need to remember what Babe Ruth said, “Never let striking out get in the way.” Never sit on that bench feeling sorry for yourself. Don’t get angry and blame someone else for your mistake. Don't sit there whining or think about giving up. Remember you are still in the game. God didn’t make you so that you could  ride the bench all of your life. God is forgiving. He has a great plan for you.  If you are a Christian he wants you to know that you are more than a conqueror. In other words God wants you to know that you are a winner even though you have struck out many, many times. 

I found the plaque you see in the picture below many years ago. Whenever we have moved to a new house I hang these frames featuring some of my favorite baseball cards on my den wall and place the Babe’s wise words above them. These are old baseball cards of players from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Many of these players were very good hitters—Yogi Berra, Ted Williams, Orlando Cepeda, and others that aren’t in the pictur , like Willie Mays and Stan Musial. I have about 75 player cards under this plaque. Every single one of them struck out many times. What do you think they did when they went back to the bench and sat down?

The Beat of the Heart

In his mother’s womb his heart began to beat. At six weeks into his life evidence of that tiny heart was detected, and two weeks later his mother listened to hear that rapid thump, thump, thump as if he were shouting, “Hello mommy, I’m here!” A vast system of blood vessels, arteries, veins, and capillaries had begun to develop in his little body until like a raging river life giving blood flowed it’s journey’s course of an amazing 60,000 miles. 

O Lord how wonderful is this your creation! A masterpiece, one of a kind, your precious work is the life you have made! A life in which is found two hearts, one physical, the other spiritual. One heart will cease to beat and will die, the other can live for eternity. In the redeemed spiritual heart, where Christ lives, the heartbeat of Jesus will be heard as his life giving blood flows freely. The power of his blood makes pure this repentant heart. Through his Savior God created a clean heart and renewed his spirit when it went astray. 

Silently that new life began without notice to fulfill the marvelous plan of the Father. Only God knew the eternal purpose for which that tiny heart, nestled securely in his mother’s womb, was made. A life, this sacred blessing from the Creator, ordained to serve and live to bring glory to his maker must be given every chance to carry out the purpose for which he was created. May we praise God for we were fearfully and wonderfully made. We know full well that your works are wonderful. Psalm 139

Heed the Warning

There were two waiting rooms in my eye doctor’s office.  In both of those rooms there was a TV with a sign that read "Do Not Touch!". I understand that they didn’t want people changing the channels, but why didn’t  they have signs that read "Please Don't Change the Channel"? That Do Not Touch sign just made me want to touch those TVs. I heard other patients say the same thing. It is our nature to want to touch what we are told not to touch.

That has always been man's problem. God put a Do Not Touch, Do Not Taste sign, in a sense, on a tree in the Garden of Eden. God blessed Adam with many trees. "And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." Genesis 2:9 The trees in the garden were beautiful, and pleasing to the eye. The fruit was good to eat and very delicious. It wasn't like Adam and Eve were desperate to eat from that one tree. The problem happened when Satan came along and began telling them how much better their lives would be if they did eat the fruit that God had forbidden them to eat. 

We know what happened. Adam and Eve ignored God’s warning and ate the fruit. Because they disobeyed God, man's relationship with Him was greatly damaged. Adam, Eve and every person after them were sentenced to a life of pain, suffering, sorrow and death. Even the perfect world that God had created was cursed and thorns and weeds covered the land. Instead of a life of comfort, man experiences great discomfort. His labor became hard and he worked by the sweat of his brow. The worst punishment—man was condemned to die, all because he did not obey the sign. 

The Bible is composed of 66 books that tell how man got himself in such a perilous state, and then how God’s grace would provide him with a way to be saved. Adam and Eve really blew it, but because of God's loving grace we all have hope. There is another sign that God has shown us. This sign says, “Believe In My son.”  If we heed the message on that Sign we will enjoy life as God intended us to live. That Sign is Jesus. Jesus came to take away our sin and to give us the kind of life God meant for us in the first place. We can choose eternal life or we can ignore God’s promise and suffer the consequence of sin which brings eternal death. Jesus came because we could not keep our hands off of the Do Not Touch sign. It is by the “touch” of our loving Savior that we are free from the penalty of touching that Do Not Touch sign..

By the way, I always touched both of those TVs.

Judging of the Brethren

 Judging of the Brethren

That large bowl of mashed potatoes had been placed right between us by our mother. As always my brother and I each wanted to be first to get a helping of those creamy spuds. Our daddy told us to bow our heads as he offered thanks. But that day neither Mike nor I were thinking about the lunch time blessing. I didn’t trust my fat little brother when he was within arms reach of the mashed potatoes. Daddy was still praying, but I could wait no longer. I opened my eyes, glanced over at Mike and that little goofball already had his hand on the mashed potato spoon. Realizing how irreverent that was I yelled,”Get your hands off that spoon you little cheat!” I’m not sure exactly what I said, but it was something to try to get Mike in trouble.

I thought Mike’s transgression needed immediate attention. A hand on the mashed potato spoon during prayer was not only a sin, but it was far from being appropriate when people are getting ready to eat. For some reason my dad did not think that my outburst was a proper way of handling the situation especially while he was praying. Not much was said about Mike’s chubby fingers grasping the serving spoon. I had not convinced daddy that I had saved my little brother from God’s wrath. Actually I had been  more interested in my daddy’s wrath for my brother.

Both of us were punished. I have forgotten what daddy did to us, but my punishment was much worse than Mike’s. I do remember though, that neither of us got any mashed potatoes that day. 

Sometimes that incident comes to mind when I read what Jesus taught in Matthew 7:1-5. This Scripture has to do with judging other people. The words of Jesus: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged…Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. I will let the word of God speak for itself.

I do think if church members would do as Jesus says about judging others there would be enough lumber lying around outside  to build a large addition onto  the church building.

The Only Answer

 We can always find hope from the word of God. I haven’t seen so much fear and confusion in our nation since 9/11. We found peace during that awful time and drew closer to God.  Our nation became more united because we came together in prayer. Churches were filled for several weeks after 9/11. There were more people praying after that horrible day than had prayed in decades. We found peace and comfort durning those weeks that followed. 

Now we are facing a threat to our nation that may be worse than 9/11. Our enemy comes from within our nation. Powerful people are set on destroying the moral fiber of the land we love. They call the good bad and and the most godless life styles. They want to silence those of us who proclaim the Jesus is the only hope for mankind. Unfortunately many of our government leaders are championing this movement. But ultimately they will fail because God always overcomes those whose perverted goal is to destroy all that is sacred. 

God is faithful to answer the prayers of his children. We must be diligent to pray for a change in the direction our nation is going. But Christians must also be United. We must be obedient children, stand together and hold our ground against the spiritual forces of evil. Only God can can give us the victory.

Old Folks Prayer

There is a possibility that some day we will have to depend on others to take care of us. Some of us may end up in a nursing home. We might need around the clock care. If that happens we don’t know how we will be treated. I’ve heard some awful stories about how old folks have been treated in health care facilities. Here is a prayer I wrote concerning this subject:

Old Folks Prayer

Thank you Lord for reminding me of the state of my affliction and the reality of my limitations, for in my weakness you make me strong. I humbly bow in your presence for you are God Almighty. You control of my coming in and my going out. You have planned my beginning and my end. You have given me all I own, and have made me for this time and this place for know what is best for me. 

I have no reason to boast in anything except Jesus and him crucified. When I come into your presence I most graciously accept my place of servitude. As the beneficiary of your complete forgiveness I harbor no regrets and I praise you that I am clothed in the righteousness of Jesus. I am free from the bondage of sin because of the sacrifice of my Savior. I thank you for your redemptive plan. 

Because I am your child I will try to remain useful to you regardless of my age, health, or any unfortunate circumstances that might define my life as I move closer to my  final day on earth. May I be encouraging and positive, not becoming distracted by the life changes that I may not understand?  Lord I pray that I can stay mentally alert, and that I might maintain a countenance that reflects the love of Christ. I want to be kind and to be surrounded by people who are kind to me and those I love. 

Thank you for the wonderful life you have given me. Father, before long you will take me to heaven where a new life I will begin. If this happens tomorrow that will be fine with me. Your plan is perfect, so may your will be done not only in my life, but in all the earth just as your will is done in heaven, now and forever. Amen

Big Egos

 “As I was driving down Beach Blvd., I saw a building that said, "Self Storage," and I thought, "I wonder if my ego could possibly fit in just one unit.”  Jacob Kintz

Usually those whose egos are so large that they would not fit in the Superdom. History has recorded the tragic lives of such people. They were self centered. They were angry and unfortunately, some of them were very powerful. Because these men and women became more and more powerful the world suffered greatly due to their selfish, misguided actions. They were able to deceive people into following them. They lied by making promises they could not keep. Whenever someone disagreed with them their response was to get rid of them. They were a bit like the Queen of Hearts character in Alice in WonderLand. Her favorite line was, "Off with their heads." A good leader cannot lead this way. Those who do, lead their followers to places they do not want to go. 

We must be very careful that we do not choose to follow someone who will manipulate us to make decisions we will regret. Egotistical, self centered, impulsive leaders will bring about a destructive outcome.  We might lose our livelihood, our hopes, our dreams and maybe our freedom, in a sense our heads, if we follow these people, and they may not be those we thought they would be.

Something to think about given the direction our nation seems to be headed.