Softball Spirituality

We have a little softball team here at church. Last year was our 1st outing in a LONG time. It did not go so well. While we had good athletes, we had never played together and it …well let’s just say we got used to not winning. This year however, it has been a different story altogether! We are really good! With a year under our belts and a few new players, we are in 1st place! In fact, going into last night’s game, we had yet to taste defeat!

So, last night we set out to face Westminster Presbyterian. They are good. They have some real power hitters. But, we are the better team. It was a great game. We had some bad calls by the ump and I was struggling to throw strikes. And our fielding was unusually sloppy; still we made big plays and scored runs. It truly was a great game.

It went back and forth and down to the wire. In the end though, the score was 17-15, and we were on the short end of that stick! Yes, the mighty West Main has fallen!  One of the things I love most about this team is how we don’t take ourselves very seriously. None of us have any grand delusions about athletic greatness. So, when we’ve lost in the past, then big deal….it is only church softball.

Last night was no different, but I gotta’ tell you. It was MUCH harder to act that way after we had been tasting victory lately. It actually hurt a little. I was surprised at that feeling inside. I did NOT like losing! I guess that when you get used to something, regardless of what attitude you think you have, it is not very easy to see a different result. This is simply human nature.

I would imagine this to be especially true when it comes to matters of victory and defeat. We all like to win. So, if we ever have the blessing to do so, and do so a lot……it is NOT a good feeling to lose. And I imagine we will play like we are on fire next week, to get that winning feeling back! We will play for pride. Heck…..we WIN, not lose…so we are going to try our very hardest, and give our best efforts to get back to where we know we can be.

I pray that as children of God, we act the same way in our spiritual lives. As cliché as it sounds, we are on THE supreme winning team! We have the victory. It is locked up. And as such, we should be used to victory. So, when defeat comes…..when Satan sneaks in those occasional upsets. How will we choose to act? Like the winners that the blood of Christ makes us? When we lose and see our “teammates” lose…….it should bother us!!! It should hurt, and we should double our efforts to make sure it does not happen again. This is my challenge to myself and all of us…….don’t give up at defeat…but double your efforts. You know your potential and you know your team is better. Give it the best you have!

So…….look out Stronghold Softball. Next Thursday night….W. Main will be fired up!