"Braves Win!" or Facing Adversity

Well, it’s old news now, but fresh on my mind as I write the day after the final game of the season. The Atlanta Braves are the World Champions for the first time since 1995.  I was six years old when the franchise moved from Milwaukee, and my Dad took me to my first game that year. 

            Since that time I have been to more games than I can remember.  I was there when Bob Horner hit four homeruns in one game.  I’ve seen them play in St. Louis, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Detroit, and Toronto, in addition to games at old Fulton County Stadium, Turner Field, and Truist Park. 

            The one game that stands out in my mind was in Chicago. On a Friday afternoon my family watched as John Smoltz out-dueled Greg Maddox, when he was still a Cub, and the Braves won in Wrigley Field, 1-0.  For a former high school pitcher, it was the greatest game I have experienced live.

            This year’s team has had more than its share of adversity.  Their best player was hurt the first week of July.  Another outfielder was removed from the team due to off-field behavior. And a third outfielder just never really met expectations. The catcher missed 1/3 of the season with an injury, and one of their better pitchers missed the entire season.  And then their best pitcher broke his leg in the first game of the World Series. 

            Lesser teams would have quit. They would have given up. But these Braves added new players, older ones stepped up their games, and in the end they won four games against the Astros when it mattered most.

            I’ve always believed that sports can serve as a metaphor for life. Anyone who has played a game knows the temptation to quit. Practice is hard. Conditioning is a killer. And sometimes the breaks don’t go your way. 

            Life, too, huh?  Jesus said, “He who perseveres to the end will be saved.”  That doesn’t mean that you can earn salvation. But it does mean that you are to keep at it, keep going, never quit.  I have said this often, but as I age the words have even more meaning to me. I want to “finish well.”  I pray the same for you. Don’t give up. The Lord is with you. Trust Him. Follow Him.  He will never forsake you.