Batter Up
“Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.” Joshua 1: 1-2 KJV
It’s always exciting when you have a local or national sports team do well. We get excited at the Olympics if the USA moves up in a sport we may not even normally watch. Of course, who isn’t excited about the USA’s soccer play at the World Cup. Most of us will probably go back to our normal football and baseball lives when the World Cup ends. But it is so much fun while it is going on.
Around here we got a little excited about a local team this year, too. It was the University of Virginia. The event was the College World Series. Unless you are a college student or college alumni of a school you probably don’t pay too much attention to the college baseball playoffs. But when a local team gets involved, something just beats in your heart and tells you that you have to pull for them. Unfortunately even the fair weather fans here in Virginia were a little disappointed when the Cavilers fell in the third game of the best of three series by a score of 3-2.
He was definitely not one of our poorer presidents growing up. He came from a rich family, so when he was growing up he had the luxury of going to some of the best schools in the Northeast. World War II came along and this young man bravely served our country in the US Navy. He got married a few weeks after his discharge. Shortly, after his marriage he enrolled at Yale where he had been accepted prior to his enlistment. He enrolled in a 2-1/2 year accelerated program and was even the president of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics in 1948 and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
Our young man, who would become president, was also the left-handed first basemen for the Yale baseball team. He was made the baseball team’s captain. The two years he played on the Yale baseball team they happened to make the finals of the first two College World Series. Yale lost to California in the first College World Series 8-7 in 1947. Then Yale turned around in 1948 and lost to Southern California in the second College World Series 9-2.
He was the understudy in waiting. Faithfully he did what he was asked. He did not seek leadership, but it found him anyway. Gallantly he traveled into an unknown land with eleven of his fellow citizens. Upon their return he was one of only two that came back with a confident report. Because of this devotion he would step his foot where even the current leader would not travel.
As long as he was alive and the peopled listened to him and God’s leadership things always went well. After his passing, things seem to fall apart because there were no real leaders to take his place. Great Biblical leaders, and national leaders for that manner, always seem to sense God’s direction and they followed it. He was this type of leader.
In the spring of 1948 Babe Ruth presented a manuscript of his book to the Yale Library. As the captain of the baseball team, our future president accepted the manuscript, and met Babe Ruth, on the university’s behalf. He was awestruck by the encounter. He even said, “I thought I’d died and gone to heaven.” Unfortunately, Babe Ruth would die a few months later on August 16, 1948.
Joshua received invaluable training from Moses. I’m sure Joshua looked at Moses as some kind of hero. Once Moses died, it was Joshua who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. The inspiration from his encounters with Moses molded him into the great leader he would become. But these moments were more than the fleeting moments we experience by a great sporting event. These moments had an everlasting effect.
We may never know how much affect Babe Ruth had on George HW Bush, but we do know one day he would send one of his grandsons, George P. Bush, a note with another of his baseball heroes, Lou Gehrig’s, stamp on it. He would tell his grandson in the note, “This guy was my baseball hero. Of good character, his decency showed through. He was a dependable guy – his teammates all respected him….” From all I’ve read about George HW Bush, that sounds like a fitting description of him, too.
Sometimes in life we come across these bigger than life characters that have so much influence on the direction of our lives. They inspire us. They drive us. They motivate us. We want to be just like them one day. Never forget there may be those whose eyes are focused on you, too. Make your life one that inspires them to swing for the fences.
Prayer: Father, It feels so good to be in the company of someone I really look up to. Help me to remember to live like my life is worth having eyes look upon it positively. I hope that is true especially with Your eyes. Amen.
