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.
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