Thank God It's Friday: Thank God for perfect games

Today I continue on in my series of posts thanking God for things that we sometimes may not think to thank God for. Today I am thanking God for perfect games.

Mark Buerhle of the Chicago White Sox pitched a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. 27 batters up, 27 batters out. It was only the 18th time in Major League Baseball history that feat has been accomplished. The last time a Chicago White Sox pitcher threw a perfect game was in 1922! A perfect game is an amazing thing and an example of an incredible individual performance but it is not just an amazing performance by the pitcher. Buerhle pitched a great game, he avoided walking anybody even though he went to three balls on a few batters. Even if he struck out all 27 batters, there's still gotta be somebody behind the plate calling pitches and receiving the pitches and making sure they drop a third strike and then have to make the throw to first to get the batter out. Of course there were the ground outs which invovled one of the infielders and the first baseman and the fly outs - some of which required the outfielders to run, dive, catch the ball, crash to the ground, and still come up with the ball in their glove. Yes, a perfect game is an amazing performance by the pitcher, but there were also eight other guys on the field any one of whom could have made a mistake or been a step away from making a play and the perfect game would not have happened.

This week in our family devotions we've been looking at Christ as our redeemer. Last night we looked at Hebrews 4:14-15 and how Jesus can sympathize with us and had been tempted in all things but yet was without sin. No matter how greatly I may be "pitching," it takes a team for a perfect game. With Jesus on my team, I won't be waiting for a call from the president after the game is over. But with Jesus on my team, I hope to hear "well done my good and faithful servant" when my game is over.

So play ball and praise God. Thank God for perfect games!

Fired Up!

As we begin the All-Star Break, we find the Washington Nationals sans manager.  It seems that after last night's loss to the Houston Astros, manager Manny Acta was fired.  The formal announcement and presumably the announcement of his replacement is expected to come today.  It really doesn't come as much of a surprise since it's been expected for weeks now.  Acta may have bought himself a few extra weeks when the Nats took two out of three from the Yankees in the Bronx, but that momentum didn't carry on to many more wins since.  Sure we've had some highlights since them - some quality starting pitching, some tape measure homers from Adam Dunn, the addition of Nyjer Morgan - but we've still seen the bullpen repeatedly collapse and pull defeat from the jaws of victory as well as some defense that might be excused on a T-Ball field.  From reading the blogs and comments, the reaction ranges from he's a bad manager and it's about time to Acta did the best with the hand that was dealt him.  I'm not sure where I fall in that continuum (probably closer to the latter than the former), but as is common with me, I try to look at it and see how it reveals what's in my heart.

Psalm 14:3 says "All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one."  I'm a sinner.  I deserve to be fired, don't I?  It's about time isn't it.  Even if I were to say I've done the best with the hand I've been given, I am reminded by Isaiah 64:6 "All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away."  Though the firing of Manny Acta (and my daily life) may lead me to dwell on this, I rejoice as I am reminded from Ephesians 2:8-10 "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God- not by works, so that no one can boast.  For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."  I have been saved.  Not by my filthy rags, but by the grace of God.  Though I may struggle daily with my inadequacies, I must remember that I am meant to do good works - not just meant to do, but created to do and prepared to do good works.

As Manny Acta finds himself with some free time on his hands, my hope for him is that he would find those good works that God has created him to do.

The Non-Waiver Trade Deadline

Although it is still weeks away, discussion abounds about the upcoming non-waiver trade deadline in baseball. The contenders are looking to see what pieces of the puzzle they need to push them over the top and make it to the playoffs while the teams at the bottom of the standings (that would be my favorite teams) are looking at what veteran players who are approaching free agency would be valuable additions to a contender who in turn has something to offer for the future of the cellar-dwellers. It is perhaps a chance to jettison some salary and acquire some prospects who will make the team better in the long run.

Now, I'm not a GM nor am I a veteran player in the last year of my contract, in fact, my name is not popping up in trade discussions at all. So, why do I bring this up?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

Hebrews 12:1

Maybe my life can be reflected as a baseball team. God is the Owner, Jesus the President, the Holy Spirit is perhaps the Director of Baseball Operations and I'm the General Manager. I know that there's "The Plan" to build a successful team and that I need to act in such a way as to help build this team. So I need to ask myself these questions.

• What is "everything that hinders?"
• There may be beloved veteran "players" on my team that are hindering me from "making the playoffs." They may need to go.
• There may be exciting "prospects" on my team that aren't part of the long term picture. They may need to go too!
• What about "the sin that so easily entangles?"
• Have I as GM, chosen "players" who reflect badly on "the Plan?" I need get rid of them.
• Have I signed "bad contracts" that I need to suck up as a loss and move on?
• Now I need to "run with perseverence!"
• There are 162 games in the regular season in baseball. Even after the non-waiver trade deadline there's a lot of season left. I need to know that changes today may not mean that the team will gel tomorrow.
• Fans of perennial bottom-dwellers are always thinking that it can be better next year. It may take some time to see the benefits of the changes I make.

Fortunately, in life, there is no non-waiver trade deadline. The only deadline we have is one that we don't know. How many days do I have left? I don't know, but I know that today, I've got time to examine my life and see what is hindering me and what is entangling me and run the race before me!

There's a song in here somewhere

Alright, I confess, I've started writing a lot of songs that I haven't finished writing. Sometimes I find a cool riff or chord progression and can't find any words to go with it. Other times, I've got what seems like a great lyric fragment and can't finish it. Heck, I've even got some titles for what are obviously going to be Grammy-winning songs but I haven't taken the time to sit down and write them. (Feel free to pause reading while you LOL.) Yesterday, I had occasion to read through Psalm 17. Verse 15 struck me as being a beautiful expression of the end result of the process of sanctification we are walking through. I need to set aside some time to meditate on this and then sit down with a guitar. Stay tuned!

I am innocent, LORD, and I will see your face! When I awake, all I want is to see you as you are.

Psalm 17:15 (Contemporary English Version)

In front of a firing squad

It has been reported (and reported and reported and reported...) that Washington Nationals manager Manny Acta is going to be fired any day now. As I type this, he hasn't been fired yet. Has it affected how he is managing the team? From prior interviews I've read/heard with him, I wouldn't think it has. Has it affected the way the team has played? Uh... no... It's been the same old same old.

How would I react if I knew I was going to be fired any day now? Would I give 110% (of course I wouldn't - I work with Ph.D. statisticians and know that's impossible) and do a great job or would I decide to stick it to the company and get all that I could before being shown the door? Regardless of what I would do, why would I do it? Would I do it out of selfish greed, out of pride wanting to prove myself, to please my employers while they are still my employers, or... to bring glory to God? I've been at my current job about 11 years longer than Manny Acta has been at his. Do I know what tomorrow will bring for either of us? Do I even know what today will bring?

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Hebrews 12:1-3