BY PASTOR ROB NORRIS
2 Corinthians 4:1 – Through God’s loving-kindness, He has given us this job to do. So we do not give up.
It’s easy to become discouraged when we fail. It’s easy to lose heart and stop trying. That’s why I love stories like this one:
For many years, Bob Brenly was the starting catcher for the San Francisco Giants. But because of a last-minute lineup change in November of 1986, he was pressed into duty at third base. Everything was going fine…until the fourth inning.
That’s when Brenly committed not one, not two, not three, but a record-tying four errors in the same inning – including two on the same play. In fact, he almost had a fifth error.
“I missed a head-high line drive that tipped off the webbing of my glove and went into left field,” Brenly said. “If they hadn’t called that one a hit, my name would have stood alone in the record books.”
The home crowd booed. Brenly’s coaches and teammates avoided even looking at him. But his manager left him in the game. Good thing.
When Brenly came up to bat the following inning, he smashed a solo home run. His next at-bat was a two-run single in the seventh to tie the game. And with the final plate appearance of the day in the ninth inning, he stroked a game-winning homer. His manager later commented, “This man deserves to be the Comeback Play of the Year for this game alone.”
If you’ve been trying to branch out of the ordinary – at home, at work, in your walk with Jesus Christ – don’t let a few setbacks get you down. Keep swinging for the fences. And if it’s your spouse who is failing, like that manager, keep on believing in your teammate.
Live It: Talk about any recent failures in your life or your spouse’s life. Discuss how you can encourage each other to stay with it and keep believing.
Pray: Thank God for how He comforts us and empowers us to keep stepping out in faith. Pray for the perseverance to press on.
Join us Wed., Dec. 24, at 4:30 p.m., for our Christmas Eve Service.
The Crossings meets Sundays, 10 a.m., at River Heights Intermediate, 7227 Scholar Way, in Eastvale. For more information call (951) 847-6836, or visit http://www.atthecrossings.com.
