Still In The Game - February
6, 2001
But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body,
every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they
were all one part, where would the body be? As it is,
there are many parts, but one body ... Now you are the
body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
- 1 Corinthians 12:18-20, 27
I was visiting with a close friend the other day when
he mentioned one of his high school loves ... baseball.
He said that his classmates all wanted to be the pitcher
and "star of the show." He too wanted to pitch, and
though he had a good arm, there were others better at
pitching. Many of his friends would grumble when the
coach would send them to what they felt were inferior
positions, but he was happy to play wherever he was
needed. He said he was just glad to be in the game.
His words stuck in my mind as I thought of a much
bigger game than baseball ... the game of life. More
specifically, I thought of our Christian walk and how we
all fit together in the body of Christ. We have a Coach
who calls the plays and directs the game, and I would say
that most of us, whether we admit it or not, would like
to step into the spotlight and burn one towards the
batter's box. But what happens when God sends us into the
outfield or tells us to play third base when we know we'd
do much better at first? What about those long innings
when we sit watching from the bench? Do we trust that
"Coach" knows what is best and go wherever he sends us,
or do we throw up our hands and say "If I can't play
where I want, I'm not playing at all."
Pam and I have been privileged to play many different
positions during our short time in the game. We have even
gotten to spend a good deal of time on the pitcher's
mound, and for that we are very thankful. Now we are on
the injured roster, watching from the bench as exciting
plays happen without us. We know the thrill of standing
under the bright stadium lights and honestly, we miss it.
We do believe that God will put us back into action when
we are ready, but until then we are content to cheer on
our teammates from the sidelines. There are so many who
never get closer to the game than occasionally warming a
bleacher in the stands, and others who drive by and never
even enter the stadium. We know we are blessed because we
are members of the team. We proudly don our crimson red
uniforms and pledge our allegiance to the cross and the
God for which it stands. No matter where the Coach
decides to use us, we are thrilled. You see, we're just
glad to still be in the game.
