Go Out Swinging

I like…baseball. You might even say that I love it. I like the game itself but I love the Philadelphia Phillies. Being a Phillies fan has not always been as easy as it seems the last few years. They were awful for a very long time. My son who is a huge Phillies fan has no idea how this can be true. But I bet some of you reading this remember it well. It was really just a series of losses strung together year after year.

I remember when they won the World Series in 1980. My dad was so happy. He, also a lifelong Phillies fan, had suffered through many more terrible seasons than I had. Then they won again in 2008. This was special because I have groomed my own children into Phillies fans. My father was taught everything baseball from his grandfather. It matters to my cousins too. We are all rabid Phillies fans. Why?

I think it connects us as a family. We know that we are all interested in the score no matter where we are. On the days of big games or big trades, a series of phone calls will circulate through the family. Before a big game, like a playoff, my Aunt will call to be sure the “flag is up.” This is code for making sure I have a cocktail to enjoy while watching. Our love of the Phillies keep us close even though we all live in Pennsylvania, Maine, Maryland or Virginia. I love that!

I think we like the game too. It is a thinking game and slow enough for me to follow. I like that I can see the strategy of winning played out before my very eyes. I like that there is no clock. The game can last 20 innings but it won’t end until someone wins. It is the one thing I enjoy that I don’t wonder what time it is. I like that I can watch my son play baseball and know what to expect…most of the time. There is nothing better though than thinking it is over just to have a rally start.

What does this have to do with faith? My faith also connects me to those same family members. We will be welcoming a new addition to my extended family soon and we will all gather. This time for a Baptism. I promise you even though it won’t be during the regular season, someone will mention the Phillies. I think I should start to approach life and my faith the way I watch baseball. I should slow down enough to see all the connections around me. I should forget about the clock and just learn to play. And I should keep playing until someone wins, even if it is not me. I should study God’s strategy as He brings me in for the next play. And I should live life knowing it isn’t over until the last man is out. And even then, I want to go out swinging.