Run Out Every Hit

One of the embarrassing parts of being famous is that your mistakes are highlighted and broadcast for all to see. This happened last summer to professional baseball player Marcell Ozuna.

“Braves manager Brian Snitker confirmed that outfielder Marcell Ozuna was benched in Sunday’s win over the Diamondbacks after an embarrassing sequence in which he was caught gawking at his 415-foot mammoth hit, resulting in only a single. In the top of the fourth inning, with the score tied 3–3 and no runners on base, Ozuna hit an absolute bomb to center field off a Zac Gallen fastball. Ozuna apparently believed he’d hit a home run, and he stood at the plate and watched the ball sail to the outfield only to carom off the wall. It was only then that he decided to start running, and he barely made it to first base safely. Ozuna clearly would’ve had extra bases if he’d hustled immediately after making contact. Instead, Snitker pulled Ozuna from the game, and he finished 1-for-1 on the day.”*

This story made me think of the words of the apostle Paul to the church in Colossae. In chapter 3:12-17, he calls the brothers and sisters there to the high standards of godliness in Christ. Then in 3:18-22, he applies those standards to specific groups of people: wives, husbands, children, fathers, and slaves. On the heels of that, he summarizes by saying: “Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance.  It is the Lord Christ whom you serve” (Colossians 3:23-24).

 Although he wasn’t perfect, notice what is said about King Hezekiah: “Every work which he began in the service of the house of God in law and in commandment, seeking his God, he did with all his heart and prospered” (2 Chronicles 31:20–21). In baseball parlance, he ran out every hit.

God loves you!

Mike

*https://www.si.com/mlb/2023/06/05/braves-marcell-ozuna-benched-loafing-415-foot-single?fbclid=IwAR3ppGrRVZGlqLikNE5Xihc40fa4lIFUCCHh10Ul_sFByWicG_5TFScsJ8c 

Where Is Your Treasure?

“A granny in Malaysia hit rock bottom in an unusual way after she had her entire life savings completely devoured by termites. A Facebook post detailing her unfortunate route to rock bottom is currently blowing up online. According to her grandson, Khairul Azhar, who uploaded the tragic tale, the unnamed senior had reportedly squirreled away RM30,000 (around $8,700) in a box for a pilgrimage to Mecca in 2024, the Straits Times reported. However, her dreams of a trip to the holy land were soon dashed by a biblical plague of bugs. When she tried accessing her stash, she saw that the banknotes had been chewed to shreds by termites, per her son’s account. Accompanying photos show the mangled greenbacks, which have been sliced into leaf-like shapes. Khairul, who lives in Kelantan, said he tried to salvage the situation by sending half of the pillaged bills to the Central Bank of Malaysia with the hopes of getting them replaced. However, he claimed that the other half were beyond salvaging. Khairul alleged that perhaps the banknote banquet was a sign that his grandmother was not destined to go to Mecca. Now, he is imploring others to refrain from storing their cash at home, lest they suffer a similar fate”*

This is a rather vivid illustration of an admonition Jesus included in the Sermon on the Mount. “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal…” (Matthew 6:19–20). The point, of course, is that earthly treasure is subject to earthly damage as the story above illustrates. A better plan would be to focus on heavenly treasure because it is exempt from moth, rust, thieves (and termites). God protects our heavenly investments! According to the apostle Peter, our heavenly inheritance is “...imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you…” (1 Peter 1:4).

God loves you!

Mike

*https://nypost.com/2023/07/28/termites-eat-grandmothers-life-savings-for-trip-to-mecca/