Running it out

I went to a baseball game tonight. I help coach a team of boys ages 9 – 10 and we play on Wednesday nights. Because I need to be at prayer meeting, I am usually able to go to the beginning or the end, depending on if we have the late game or the early game.

Tonight one young fella hit a short roller to the pitcher. The pitcher fielded it easily and made the short throw to first to get my little friend out. But what impressed me was that this boy didn’t stop running until he touched first base. He ran full blast all the way there, and as a result he actually made the play a little close. But he was clearly out. However it got me to thinking….

I’ve been in that situation several times before. You know the ball is easy, you know that they are probably going to throw you out, but there is always the chance that they will make a mistake and you will get on. Or if you are fast, you might even be able to beat the throw. So you run full speed.

Now, sometimes the temptation is just to stop half way to the base and give up. What’s the point? I mean the pitcher is practically standing on first base himself, no way the first-basemen misses this throw, I’m just stopping and going back to the dug out. This emotion and subsequent action is certainly understandable and happens often in baseball.

But the guys I respect are the ones that give it their all even when things are hopeless. Even though they are clearly going to be out, they don’t give up, and instead give all of themselves to the very last moment. “It’s not over ’till it’s over” as they say. This comes from an attitude of giving every situation in life, even the “lost causes”, all that you have. And you know, it’s usually those guys, the ones that don’t give up regardless, that end up getting “lucky” and are safe.

Are you seeing an analogy yet? This is why I love sports, in part, because it gives us good pictures of life. We should never give up, even when things are hopeless, and we “know” that things are going to turn out badly. No, we should run the whole way. Sometimes we’ll get put out, but when we come back to the plate again, we start with a clean slate. Give it your all, lay yourself out on the line, and let God handle everything else. All he asks of us is our everything. After that, he’s in control. I can only give God everything I have. Once that is done, all the consequences are out of my hands. Stonewall Jackson said “Duty is ours. Consequences are God’s.” I love that quote. It helps me stay sane when things get hectic. I just need to focus on my duty. What’s my duty? Well the Bible tells us. There is a verse that says what is the entire duty of man. Do you know what it is? I’ll give you 12 comments to figure it out. After that I’ll tell you. Anyone can guess as many times as they want.

But another verse is this, and it applies to not giving up, but pressing forward:
Forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14