DAYS OF SUMMER
Franky McGill could burn the seams right off a baseball he threw so fast… at least that’s what it seemed like my first year in Little League. Franky pitched for the Jets. I was playing catcher for the Astros that summer day of the Banning California Little League championship game.
We were good, but having Franky McGill on your team was like having God on your side. It was the bottom of the 9th, two outs, nobody on base, me up to bat with my new cleats.
I started the season without cleats. My parents stretched a tight budget a little further to get them. I felt invincible with those cleats… even if Franky McGill had already struck me out a couple times that afternoon.
I can’t recall the count at the time, but the pitch was low, I shouldn’t have swung, but I was a sucker for low pitches. I do remember the ping of the aluminum bat and my cleats digging into the Southern California dirt as I ripped around the bases for a slide in triple.
A few pitches later I was way off the bag after Franky threw another strike while my teammate watched, knees trembling. Mike Hawkins, the Jets catcher pump faked a throw as a warning to me to get back to third. So I turned and took a couple steps back the bag. Just as Mike threw the ball back to Franky I raced toward home plate like a charging mini-bull.
Franky had to wait for the ball to get back to him and I was already three quarters of the way to home base. Did I mention how fast Franky could chuck a baseball? The ball got to Mike’s mitt before I got to home plate. It was too late to stop with Mike waiting.
I had two big brothers and they weren’t the sweet sensitive type. My brother Bobby was playing Pop Warner football at the time and at that age I was a sponge. I lowered my head and leveled the Hawkins kid.
He was squirming on his back, moaning in pain and trying to suck the wind back into him that I’d knocked out, but that kid was tough, he hung onto that ball… and the game was over.
I like to win as much as the next person, probably a whole lot more, but more importantly, I’m not afraid to play the game and lose.
Too many Christians play this life with fear. They don’t want to risk losing so they don’t chase their dreams and desires. That’s not how God designed us to live life. The “abundant” life Christ is referring to in John isn’t about wealth, it’s about living life without fear because He already knows every outcome that we endeavor!
I reminisce the by-gone days of summer. That memory of my young dumb self God is using to remind me that I need not fear this world. Maybe you too need a reminder now and then that we need to “fear not, for He has overcome this world”.
May we live this life with the joy and excitement that we did in our long gone days of summer.
Sunday, August 11, 2019 @ 5:39 pm
Excellent post, Floyd! Loved the analogy! Advice I need to take seriously. Thanks for the challenge!
Sunday, August 11, 2019 @ 5:53 pm
Oh, to recapture those days when everything, we thought, was possible. Yet, in light of dreams shattered and life going off the rails, the only thing I wish to remember is when Jesus stepped into my life and told me to leave it all behind. “Come. Follow Me.” Gives the perfect perspective to success and failure, doesn’t it? We can cherish the memories, but we can cherish even more what God is promising us up the road.
Blessings, Floyd!
Monday, August 12, 2019 @ 2:39 am
Thanks for bringing us back to “yesteryear” with you. This is such an encouraging post. Thank you, Floyd!
Monday, August 12, 2019 @ 10:27 am
I need more of your fearlessness, Floyd. Thanks for these reminders to live with joy and excitement. I was never into baseball, but I did do a lot of bike riding and roller skating back in the day. 🙂
Monday, August 12, 2019 @ 12:37 pm
I, too, think of those days gone by from time to time. When baseball for me was king and I was its slave. I remember being 9 years old and jumping high in the air to catch a line drive at second base and then riding with my mom to get my dad from his pick up point from work so I could tell him. I remember playing first base and pitching a no-hitter in a championship game. I sometimes long for those simple times. And fearlessness. Climbing trees. Running full bore down first and not worrying about a pulled hamstring. I long for those days of innocence.
Monday, August 12, 2019 @ 4:32 pm
I remember one game…the first of two I only played in. During P.E. in school. I was in the outfield. Batter rallied one high and mighty out to me… nice curve, coming in straight down ahead of me. I had on my own glove, always on my left hand… the ball came down and I caught it just above head height… with my bare right hand… OHHHH!!!! I don’t think I regained any feeling in that hand until later that night.
Still wondering why they call it softball…. that ball was never soft!
I have never been fearless… so many things have held me back, including the fear of success, and even failure… Failure has always won me over. But I always get back up with the ball in my hand.
Monday, August 12, 2019 @ 5:24 pm
Summers for me were so care fee growing up in Florida. Biking, swimming, boating, skiing, skating, fishing in snake and gator infested waters. I was such a tom boy and afraid of nothing. Thanks, Floyd, for the reminder of those days. I’m going to challenge myself to bring those memories forward and live a more fearless and joyful life!
Thursday, August 15, 2019 @ 1:51 pm
Great analogy brother. When ask what my greatest fear is, I can safely say, getting angry and ruining someone life. We have lived a full life, full of things to fear and I have feared much but God has given me victory over much of that fear through the years. Most would tell I am a bold women, not afraid to lead if no one else does or I know God wants me to. I love teaching women, or anyone for that matter but I am not a preacher, just sound like one many times. I have let God turn my fear into caution as I have aged. Yesterday though I did a dumb thing just for the sake of seeing my youngest grandson, Reedley smile. He has been trying to get me on their trampoline since they bought it. I threw caution to the wind and climbed inside the netting very slowing, looking like a turtle. Finally I was in, ,then Reedley said, come on Grandma jump with me. With great effort I got to my feet and probably jumped a half inch high, Reedley said, Grandma that Is not jumping. THEN, I heard my husband voice, oh no, caught in the act for he had told I did not need to try even getting into the crazy thing. He is a gracious man and told Reedley, Grandma does not need to be in here. Of course Reedley does not argue with Grandpa, but he hung his head and said, sorry Grandma. With Ace help I finally got out of the trampoline. Thinking ok, I have had my thrill, at least I tried to give the sweetest little grandson in the world his heart wishes. My love for him took any fear I had of getting hurt away.
I remembered people asking me if I was afraid to live oversea, especially in Papua New Guinea. Really, I wasn’t, it was adventure but more then that the love of God for me drove the fear away. I was afraid of that plane ride over there but even then with fear eating up my stomach I look it in the face and said, it will be worth it all. But I must, at all costs loss this lack of fear and live even more cautious, no more trampolines, need to listen more to those who love me and want me around for a long time. Thank God writing is not a physical danger. Great post, see what it drew out of me.
Saturday, August 17, 2019 @ 3:35 pm
There are times we simply must “Go for it.” fear or not, just go. I enjoyed this post and sorry you were tagged out, but you certainly made head way with Mike. 🙂