Playing The Game
It was a cold October evening, I was ten years old, and little did I know that this would be the last time I would see my beloved Brewers in a World Series. There were two outs, no one on, and the Brew Crew down 6 to 3. The powerful Gorman Thomas was at the plate but the crafty Bruce Sutter and his revolutionary split-finger fastball was on the mound for the Cards. Then I saw an image that would be burned in my brain the rest of my life. Stormin' Gorman swinging wildly at strike three and Sutter jumping up and down in triumph: winning game seven of the 1982 World Series for St. Louis over Milwaukee.
Bruce Sutter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame a couple weeks ago. It's an honor he deserves. But I'm sure now that when he looks back at 1982 his memories are not all that different than mine. Little did he know at the time that it would be his last appearance on the biggest stage in sports: the World Series.
Every day God is providing us with doorways and opportunities but all too often we allow busyness, comfort, and sometimes even fear to prevent us from seizing those chances or even seeing them in the first place. With courage Sutter took the ball from Whitey Herzog in that final game in the eighth inning: his team only up only one run. He got in the game even though he could have been a goat for the ages. He got in the game and came out a champion.
All too often, though, we don't come out champions. Just ask Gorman Thomas or any Milwaukee Brewer for that matter. But we shouldn't let that stop us from getting into the game. Don't fear failure, learn from it, and who knows today may be the day God presents you with one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments. Will you recognize it? Will you take a chance?
Get in the game. Live your faith daily. Behold the hand of God in your life.
It was a cold October evening, I was ten years old, and little did I know that this would be the last time I would see my beloved Brewers in a World Series. There were two outs, no one on, and the Brew Crew down 6 to 3. The powerful Gorman Thomas was at the plate but the crafty Bruce Sutter and his revolutionary split-finger fastball was on the mound for the Cards. Then I saw an image that would be burned in my brain the rest of my life. Stormin' Gorman swinging wildly at strike three and Sutter jumping up and down in triumph: winning game seven of the 1982 World Series for St. Louis over Milwaukee.
Bruce Sutter was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame a couple weeks ago. It's an honor he deserves. But I'm sure now that when he looks back at 1982 his memories are not all that different than mine. Little did he know at the time that it would be his last appearance on the biggest stage in sports: the World Series.
Every day God is providing us with doorways and opportunities but all too often we allow busyness, comfort, and sometimes even fear to prevent us from seizing those chances or even seeing them in the first place. With courage Sutter took the ball from Whitey Herzog in that final game in the eighth inning: his team only up only one run. He got in the game even though he could have been a goat for the ages. He got in the game and came out a champion.
All too often, though, we don't come out champions. Just ask Gorman Thomas or any Milwaukee Brewer for that matter. But we shouldn't let that stop us from getting into the game. Don't fear failure, learn from it, and who knows today may be the day God presents you with one of those once-in-a-lifetime moments. Will you recognize it? Will you take a chance?
Get in the game. Live your faith daily. Behold the hand of God in your life.
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