A Swing and A Miss
By Ronnie Wyatt
Standing in his backyard, little Joey threw the ball up in the air and said, “I am the greatest hitter in the world!” With that announcement, he swung his bat completely missing the ball. Picking it up, he continued with his game. Throwing the ball in the air, he exclaimed, “I am the greatest hitter in the world!” Again, he missed the ball. Once again, he tossed the ball in the air making his proclamation, “I am the greatest hitter in the world!” For the third time, he missed the ball.
Realizing that this was his third strike, he then proclaimed with authority, “Ladies and Gentlemen, you have just witnessed Joey, the greatest pitcher of all time!”
In a Sports Illustrated interview, baseball hero Mickey Mantle once described his long battle with alcohol and his heartbreaking problems with his family. The interviewer then asked, "So how are things going with you today, Mickey?"
"Better," was the reply. "I haven't had a drink in eight months. I'm starting to get my life back together, but I just feel like there's something missing."
Here was a living legend who, from 1951 to 1968, played 2,401 games for the New York Yankees. He hit a record 18 homers in 12 World Series. He was a 16 time All-Star and a 3 time league M.V.P. He was the winner of the 1956 Triple Crown. He had a career .298 batting average, 536 Home Runs, and in 1974 was inducted into Baseball's Hall of Fame. Yet, he looked back at his life and found it was empty. With all of his accumulation of wealth, fame, and accomplishment, he was not a satisfied man.
Mickey’s emptiness was not filled until he lay in a hospital during the last days of his life. His friend and former baseball player, Bobby Richardson, shared with him that what he needed more than anything was a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Mickey humbled himself and accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and for the first time in his life, he found real peace and fulfillment.
Mickey was asked on his death bed what his greatest moment in life was and he responded, “The day that I came to know Jesus Christ personally.”
Isn’t it amazing that Mickey looked back at all of his accomplishments on the field and to him they were a big, “Swing And A Miss.” Yet, Jesus was the real Grand Slam of his life. How about you? Does it feel like something is missing? If it feels like something is missing, it might be.
The Apostle Paul, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit wrote in Phil. 3:7-9, “whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ–the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.”
Today, won’t you humbly pray and ask Jesus to come into your life. Ask Him to forgive you of all of your sins. And ask Him to be with you from now into eternity. I promise you that it will be the best swing of the bat you ever make!
VERSE OF THE WEEK:
“What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” Mark 8:36
Ronnie Wyatt travels for Crosseyed Ministries as a Christian Comedian, Evangelist, Conference Speaker and Author. www.crosseyedministries.com
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