"LET'S PLAY BALL"

Yes it is that time again!! Baseball season!! I have grown up at the ball park. My Dad coached my brothers, my mom was scorekeeper and I played softball, cheered and just ran around the park with all my friends! Now.....here I am with my boys, at the park!

You know there are so many sayings that you pick up at the park. Like, "batter up", "let's play ball", "strike 3, you're out!". You know, you can so relate life to baseball. You practice all week, preparing for the big day. Big day comes, your on the bench, other people are in the game and then all of sudden, coach calls your name, Carrell, you're in. The adrenaline starts flowing, you wonder have you prepared enough, are you ready??? You run out on to the field and take your spot, standing there, waiting for the pitch. The pitch is thrown, the bat makes contact and the ball is coming your way. You have a few choices here. Stand your position and play it like you've been taught, like you've rehearsed in your mind over and over. The way that you have layed there and dreamed about how you would make that play if you were given the chance. Stand there and let the ball go by as if you just really don't care and would rather being doing something else at that moment or completely run out of the way and let someone else make the play because you are afraid of the ball that was just hit your way.

Are you following me here? We all have a place on God's team and it is what we do before we get into the game that determines how we will play the game. And, though we may have to sit the bench for a while, there will be a day that we are called to the field to be a part of something that God has called us to, made us for, that no one else was made to do. Are we going to be complacent, apathetic, even rather bored at what God has called us to? Are we going to shrink back in fear allowing someone to play the position that God actually created for us to play? Or, are we going to jump in there and be ready, eager, saying "hit it my way"? Remembering always that we are a part of a team and without the whole team, we win nothing, but it takes the whole team, each doing his part to make us true winners!

"LET'S PLAY BALL"!!!