The Big One

I will celebrate a birthday later this week. This is a big one. The Federal government sent me a gift. It’s my Medicare Card. You would not believe how much mail I have received since January offering me the best deals on Medicare supplements or advantage plans and the like. Or maybe you would. Some of you have already been through it. When I have mentioned it to a couple of friends they have referred to me as, “a mere baby'“.

Well, I have to tell you that I don’t feel like a baby. There are the aches and pains that go with growing older. And my wife has asked me more than once. “Was it worth it? Would you do it all again if you knew?”

Her question refers to the many years of abusing my knees and hips and ankles, not to mention elbows and shoulders, flinging my body around on a basketball court, and throwing a baseball or softball. And I always smile and say, “Absolutely.” I loved it then, and I still have fond memories today. I would do it all again.

I remember both aspects of games. I blocked the shot of George Rogers in a game my senior season. Yes, the Heisman Trophy winner! I’m certain he remembers nothing about it. But I got at least a blocked shot without a foul. And we won the region tournament and went to the state tournament for the first time in a decade for our school. The thrill of victory.

And I missed a free throw that would have clinched the county championship, only to watch an opponent make a shot to tie the game. We would lose in overtime. The agony of defeat.

But there were lessons learned in both victory and defeat, and they have stayed with me through the years. Preparation matters. Teamwork matters. Not quitting matters. They matter on the ball field/court. And they matter in life.

I’m grateful for the lessons of life that the Lord has taught me on the diamond and in the pulpit. And I pray that I will continue to learn as long as He grants me breath.