March 13, 2006
…whatever you do, do all to the glory of God
Sometimes, I see something that I just have to stand back and applaud. My nephew, Kenny (who got absolutely none of his athletic ability from me) is the pitcher for his school's baseball team. I cannot begin to tell you how incredibly gifted he is at what he does… (but that says less about his ability and more about my ineptness as a baseball fan). I think his pitches have been clocked at about a Brazillian miles per hour. No wait, a Brazillian is someone from Brazil. Anyway, he's fast.
Like most ball players, he sometimes hurts himself and it takes him out of the game for a time of healing. He's lately been out nursing an elbow injury, but this past Saturday, they finally let him play two innings. He gave up no hits and struck out five batters! On top of that, he had a 100% on base percentage with two singles. To top it all off, he also hit a home run (about 350 ft)!
Needless to say, everyone in the family, including me, is busting buttons with pride. However, that's not why I am writing about him. I'm writing to tell you what most of the folks in or out of the game don't know… inside Kenny's hat is a Bible verse. He wrote, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" Phil 4:13. When he stepped up to the mound, he took off his hat and read the verse to himself, said a prayer. Then he went to work applying his talent, and setting out to demonstrate the power of those words.
Is this passage in Philippians about winning ball games? I think not. It is about depending on the strength of God to help us in everything we do. In the game of life, I need God's help, but sometimes I forget. I proceed with delusions that I can manage just fine on my own. He frequently reminds me that I cannot. Frequently He uses others to show me… sometimes it's a friend… sometimes family… This time it's my nephew. Thanks Kenny, for reminding me what a great God we serve. I'm proud of you.
Jimazing Thoughts 
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