At Bat

Babe Ruth had hit 714 home runs during his baseball career and was playing one of his last full major league games. It was the Braves versus the Reds in Cincinnati. But the great Ruth was no longer as agile as he had once been. He fumbled the ball and threw badly, and in one inning alone his errors were responsible for most of the five runs scored by Cincinnati. As the Babe walked off the field after the third out and headed toward the dugout, a crescendo of yelling and booing reached his ears.*

Some days we strike out.  We make errors.  We take our eyes off the ball or play hurt.  For whatever reason things don’t happen the way they are supposed to or even close to the way they did in times past.  It causes us to doubt our calling, snap at our closest family members, or wonder why God doesn’t seem to care.   

Life seems to be booing at us from all sides.... from the bleachers to the box seats.  

Ever have a day [a month... a year...] like that?  Ever struggled to get out of bed in the morning for fear of rejection, ridicule, or retaliation?   

Even hall of famers have those feelings.  

Even the best have rough days.

Look at Paul... He wrote most of the New Testament... was the greatest Christian missionary the world has ever seen...  and he wrote what happened to him.

“But whatever they dare to boast about—I’m talking like a fool again—I dare to boast about it, too. Are they Hebrews? So am I. Are they Israelites? So am I. Are they descendants of Abraham? So am I. Are they servants of Christ? I know I sound like a madman, but I have served him far more! I have worked harder, been put in prison more often, been whipped times without number, and faced death again and again.24 Five different times the Jewish leaders gave me thirty-nine lashes. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked. Once I spent a whole night and a day adrift at sea. I have traveled on many long journeys. I have faced danger from rivers and from robbers. I have faced danger from my own people, the Jews, as well as from the Gentiles. I have faced danger in the cities, in the deserts, and on the seas. And I have faced danger from men who claim to be believers but are not.  I have worked hard and long, enduring many sleepless nights. I have been hungry and thirsty and have often gone without food. I have shivered in the cold, without enough clothing to keep me warm.”

All of us (even Paul) have challenges.  Sometimes the world hurts us... and sometimes we miss the ball on our own.  And what are the typical reactions? 

Stop trying.  No risk... no hurt.   

No body cares... so why should I?

No fair.  I’m trying to do the right thing and getting picked on because of it.

Sometimes we just need to be reminded that somebody cares.

Let’s look at the rest of the Babe’s story...

“Just then a boy jumped over the railing onto the playing field. With tears streaming down his face, he threw his arms around the legs of his hero. Ruth didn’t hesitate for one second. He picked up the boy, hugged him, and set him down on his feet, patting his head gently. The noise from the stands came to an abrupt halt. Suddenly there was no more booing. In fact, hush fell over the entire park. In those brief moments, the fans saw two heroes: Ruth, who in spite of his dismal day on the field could still care about a little boy; and the small lad, who cared about the feelings of another human being. Both had melted the hearts of the crowd.” *

Even though what Babe did at the plate was disappointing...

Even though what Paul suffered was crippling...

Even though what you woke up to seems too big to overcome...

Even though failure and pain happen... 

Someone cares.  

God cares.

Psalm 55:22 “Give your burdens to the LORD, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall.”

1 Peter 5:7 “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”

Isaiah 41:10

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.

    Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.

I will strengthen you and help you.

    I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

Philippians 4:7 “Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”

Finally, Jesus tells us:  

John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”

You are cared about, loved, and watched over every minute of every day.  Thank God for that… keep your head up… and praise Him in the days of the home run AND the strike out.  You’ll be back up at bat soon enough…  

*Ted W. Engstrom, The Pursuit of Excellence, 1982, Zondervan Corporation, pp. 66-67.

Walls or Windows?

Today is exactly 86,400 seconds long.... and it will go by in the blink of an eye.

Look at your day so far... you’re awake... maybe you’ve made some coffee... or a lunch appointment for later.  Maybe you’ve already checked your email, scanned twitter, and clicked the bookmark to join us here on my Facebook page.   Or perhaps it’s much later in your day and you’ve chatted with a client at lunch...or it’s night and you just put the kids to bed.

In any case... time hasn’t stopped or slowed down.  Not even once.  The sun blazed it’s path across the sky at the same rate it always does (except that once in Joshua 10:13).  

My point?  Today’s 86,400 seconds represent more than just things that happen to you. Your day is about more than handshakes, heartbreaks, and YouTube.  Your day was created special... by the Master Day-maker... by the One who cares more about you than anyone... by God.

Just for you.

Nobody on this whole planet has a day like you do.  The faces you’ll see... the words you will say... all unique to you.  Each experience hand-crafted to teach you something, remind you that you are loved, or present you with something that only you can grow from. 

What’s that “something”?  Opportunity.  What will you do with your opportunity today?

Make the most of life?

“Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity.”  - Colossians 4:5

Do good for others?

“Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith.” Galatians 6:10

Be positive?  Teach someone something? Comfort a friend?  Confront someone lovingly?  Cease a relationship?  Start a new one?  Launch a business?  Take a class?  

You have 86,400 seconds a day to make the most of the opportunities that God has placed on your heart.  Some you will know are coming and you can prepare for... others you will be forced to handle on the spot.  In either case, your decision will move you closer to your God-potential or draw you further away... There are no neutral choices.  

The challenge with opportunity is that we think we have to wait for it to arrive... We’re ready for the thing we think is best for us... standing at the dock waiting for that ship to come in!  Unfortunately...many times while we wait for that ship, opportunity arrives on a plane at the airport.  

And we have to adjust.  And we think we miss it.  And life doesn’t go as we want it to.  And we aren’t ready.  And we think God’s mad at us.  And we think we deserve it.  

God doesn’t see it that way.

Tomorrow morning, God is going to reset the timer and you’re going to get another 86,400 seconds to love, protect, trust, obey, serve, give, cheer, be brave, dive in, high-five, cry, laugh, defend, and follow through.  There might be someone in your path that needs to hear about Christ... or someone who needs to see it modeled in your behavior.  Maybe what you’ve been praying for will come to fruition...or maybe it’s another day when God tells you to patiently wait because He has something better for you.  

Tomorrow you may get the opportunity to break the cycle and be the dad you didn’t have... or you’ll spend your seconds being both mom and dad to your kids.   I don’t know what opportunity you’ll have when God wakes you up in the morning... or even the ones He has planned out for the rest of your today...

What I do know is that you’ll have them... and that 95% of your success in those opportunities... the way you can truly honor God with the way you handle them... is in your perspective.  Winston Churchill said it this way:

“A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.”  

What do you see ahead?   Walls or windows?  Challenges or chances?   A way to feel sorry for yourself or a way to trust God because you don’t understand?  Sometimes we want to see life-events as punishment for our sins when all God means them to be are chances to grow.  The way we view what happened or what will happen to us can dramatically alter the way we see the size of our God.  

God is NEVER small.  He is all-powerful.  He is all-knowing.  He is everywhere at one time.  

And He has put together a day of chances and challenges that can draw you closer to Him and His will for your life.  It just takes the right perspective and an unflinching focus on loving Christ and loving those He has put in our path.  

The clock is ticking.   Make every second (and every opportunity) count.

No Matter What

On the Australian coat of arms is a picture of an emu and a kangaroo. These animals were chosen because they share a characteristic.  Both the emu and kangaroo can move only forward, not back. The emu’s three-toed foot causes it to fall if it tries to go backwards, and the kangaroo is prevented from moving in reverse by its large tail. 

Backwards is nearly impossible for them... 

For us, sometimes it’s a different story.

-  We go to church on the weekend... get filled with the joy of the Lord... and then Monday comes with its expected stress.  It’s enough to move our strength backwards.

• We go to a friend for comfort... get some much needed perspective... and then let the enemy convince us to wrestle with it some more.  It’s enough to make our faith move backwards.  

• We try to get past our past... pray through the painful memories... and then go right back to those old behaviors.  It’s enough to convince us that our lives are backwards.

Two steps forward... leaps and bounds backward.

Jesus has a different purpose for our lives.  Look at what He tells his disciples:

Luke 9:57-62  [emphasis mine]

“As they were walking along, someone said to Jesus, “I will follow you wherever you go.”

But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”

He said to another person, “Come, follow me.”

The man agreed, but he said, “Lord, first let me return home and bury my father.”

But Jesus told him, “Let the spiritually dead bury their own dead!  Your duty is to go and preach about the Kingdom of God.”

Another said, “Yes, Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family.”

But Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”

Jesus called them forward and they obliged.  Then it hit them....

Wait Jesus, I have to....

Hold on Jesus, first I need to...

Hey Jesus, can I go back to...

Hesitation to full commitment.  Jesus saw it in their hearts.  

There seems to always be a reason to serve God half-heartedly.

• We aren’t sure He can do what He claims to do every day...not just Sunday...so we forget about His daily provision, grace, and joy.

• We doubt that things will ever change in our life.  So we choose worry over worship.  

• We realize we can’t change the past... so we voluntarily allow it to define us.

One step forward in Christ... only to be shoved backward by the lies of the enemy.  

The temptation for some is to follow Christ with one eye on His promises and one on what they think they can control.   Jesus tells us to press on... don’t look back... and never GO back.  Where you were brought you to who you’ve become.  No need to regret past mistakes, ancient history, or painful memories.  

Christ clearly says... 

Follow me... Keep your eyes fixed on what I am about to do....Focus on where we are going together.  Move forward... not backward.   Come to my open arms... don’t backtrack to the pain you’re familiar with.  Serve Me with your whole heart... head up... one foot in front of the other.  Don’t compromise, retreat, or surrender.   I have great things in store for those who refuse to turn around and stare at the past hoping it will change....

Don’t give up an inch of what God’s allowed you to be victorious over...  Allow the mistakes of your past to give you wisdom and perspective when dealing with the present.  Gain ground by spending your time refocusing not regretting.  Commit 100% to serving Him and letting Him lead.   

Take your next step down the path even when you don’t see where you’ll put your foot.    It will be solid ground... He promises it.

Let’s commit to moving forward together... with Christ... no matter what.  

Gold

In the recent Summer Games (2012), Kim Rhode won the gold medal in skeet shooting making her the first American to win 5 Olympic medals in 5 consecutive Olympic games. That’s a span of 20 years and not her only distinction. In the 2012 games, she hit 99 out of 100 skeet setting a new Olympic record and tying the world record for the event. As if that wasn’t accomplishment enough... her first medal was in the 1996 Summer Games making her the youngest female gold medalist in Olympic shooting. 

How does this happen?

In an interview with the New York Times, Rhode answers the question of how. She shoots anywhere from 500 to 1,000 rounds every day of the week year around. To save you the math, this is 3,000,000 plus shots with a shotgun. That’s 600,000 rounds per medal.   Over three million practice shots.  Time after time.  Every single day on her calendar.  

Kim would be the first to tell you... it’s all about the preparation.  What you do on your own time is as important (if not more so) than what you do in the spotlight.  Her excellence on the range is due to her diligence, discipline, and perseverance.  In other words... there are no shortcuts.  Gold medals don’t hang around the necks of those that wing it... that hope for the best... that count on good fortune or a favorable breeze.  Champions don’t materialize... they are made.

In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul talks about this type of preparation.  

“Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win!  All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.  So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should. Otherwise, I fear that after preaching to others I myself might be disqualified.”  

All of us run the race of life.  We lace up our shoes each morning, get on a bus or in a car, and head somewhere that requires us to make a difference.  We make decisions, contribute to relationships, communicate ideas, raise children, and live out the life that unfolds in front of us.  But are we successful?  Do we make the most of every opportunity or do we find ourselves reacting... flat-footed.  Underprepared for the challenges...

Which brings us to the next important question... how much training do we do?   How much of our day is preparation?  How many minutes are spent intentionally trying to better ourselves?  Are we living on purpose?

- How much time is spent reading and meditating on the scriptures? How many Bible verses have I memorized and keep on my heart?

-  How many people do I hold grudges against?  Why haven’t I forgiven them?  

 Am I raising my children in a way that honors God?  How much quality time do I spend with them?  Do they know God?

 Am I being the husband/wife that God wants me to be?  Is most of my energy spent trying to change my spouse or is it spent becoming a better one?

 Do I spend my day blaming others or confessing my shortcomings to God?

When was the last time I asked for forgiveness?  Given forgiveness?

Am I living out what I claim to believe?   Or do I tell people I believe it because that’s what they expect me to say?

We can avoid these questions or we can run toward them.  Don’t settle.  Bronze is a beautiful color... but you were created for gold.  The eternal prize Paul was talking about?  The everlasting salvation found in Christ...making a Kingdom difference in the lives of those around you... changing the destiny of someone bound for eternal separation from God into a life-changing eternal relationship with Him.  Growing in Christ... Not surviving life but really living it to its fullest.  That’s what we’re after.  That’s why we train.  To reach the potential that God has placed in our hearts... to fulfill our destiny... to become the men and women that change the world.... and give all glory to God in the process. 

But we can’t do it if we aren’t prepared.  It isn’t easy.   Christ never promised us ease of lifestyle... He promised eternal reward.   The challenges will be hard... the competition fierce... and the opposing team?  An enemy that prowls like a lion just waiting for us to stop growing and start settling.   Ready to win?  Every race... every result... the path to every gold medal was all started the same way.  

Deciding to begin.   

10K

In 1990, Georgene Johnson turned 42.    Unhappy and out-of-shape… she committed to make some changes in her life to make the second half better than the first.  Her first act of improvement… running.  Georgene decided to enter a 10K race that was coming up in her community.  She prepared herself and when race day came, she was ready to run the 6 mile course.  The race started… and about 4 miles in, she turned to a fellow runner and asked when they were going to make the turn and head back.  The fellow runner looked at her with a puzzled glance and kept running.   Why the odd look?  Turns out, Georgene wasn’t running the 10K she had signed up for… that started at a later time… instead, she was running the Cleveland Marathon!  And 26 miles later, she crossed the finish line.  She had never run that far or that long… but she just kept going.  When asked why she didn’t stop she said, “This is not the race I trained for.  This is not the race I entered.  But for better or worse, this is the race that I am in.”

Have you ever felt like that?  Prepared for one test but given another much larger one?  Underequipped?  Overwhelmed?  Pushed right past your comfort zone into the land of “why me?”  If so, you aren’t alone.  Many find themselves in a much longer challenge than they ever thought they’d get through… faced with the choice of stopping or running… pushing on or shutting down.  The Bible tells us in Hebrews 12 that we should keep going… to run the race that has been marked out for us… even when we feel like we can’t pick up our feet.  How?  The verse tells us to keep our eyes on Jesus.  Look to Him when it hurts… turn to Him when we don’t understand.. lean on Him when we struggle… and trust in Him when the course seems never-ending.   You may not see the finish line but Christ does.   He knows you can do it.  And with every bend in the road, He’s there not only cheering you on but strengthening you every step of the way.