“God is always at work for the good of everyone who loves
him." ~ Romans 8:28
He loved baseball. For hours, he’d play by himself hitting a tennis
ball into the fence; tossing fly balls, or pitching though the old tire
swing. In his mind, he was Mickey Mantle,
Bob Gibson and Ernie Banks combined.
He loved watching grown men compete, the superstition of
rally-caps, and fans catching foul balls.
He delighted in inning-ending double plays robbing opponents of a chance
to score. He even loved baseball fans and
not just the cute girls in short shorts. As a young man, he squandered a partial college scholarship due
to academic ineligibility. All he ever
wanted to do was play major league baseball.
In 1979, his life took a turn as abrupt as the sinker ball
he later perfected. Selected by the
Dodgers in the 17th round, despite an unflattering scouting report: “poor control, weak fastball, shaky temperament.”
All that changed less than a decade later . . . World Series
MVP, SI’s Sportsman of the Year, Cy Young Award and Gold Glove recipient, and AP’s
Athlete of the Year. He didn't need to
be Kaline, Drysdale, or Wagner – he was Orel Hershiser, aka the ‘Bulldog.’
During the final game of the 1988 World Series against the
Oakland A's, Orel was seen in the dugout on national TV with his head back,
eyes closed, meditating. Later when
questioned what was going through his mind by Johnny Carson as a guest on the
“Tonight Show,” he chuckled.
"I was singing hymns to myself to relax and keep my
adrenalin down. Every time I thought
about being ahead, I got too excited to pitch."
The audience clapped and cheered, hoping to hear him sing a
couple of bars. As he politely declined,
the crown roared – he’d never sung in public.
"Just a couple of bars," urged Carson.
Hershiser, sitting in Carson’s famous chair, began to sing
the “Doxology:” – “Praise God from whom all blessings flow . . .” He didn’t
make it to the end of the song before his voice cracked and his eyes swelled. Carson
gently patted Hershiser’s arm. For one
brief moment, “The Tonight Show” became a worship service starring Orel
Hershiser as the messenger of good news.
No matter where we are, we can proclaim God’s greatness. We can tell the world that God is good. There are no defects or contradictions in
Him, and nothing can be added to His nature to make Him any better. Because God is so good, He wants us to have
what we need for our happiness and He sees that it is available to us. Every good thing we now enjoy or ever hope to
enjoy flows from Him. Never stop
praising Him for all that He does for us.
Dear God, I know I’m a sinner and in need of a
Savior. Thank You for sending Your Son
to die for my sins, then raising Him again to life. Come into my life and help me live my life to
praise You. Amen
