Victory in Defeat

We lost. We lost in the most heartbreaking and embarrassing fashion. We snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

I hate to lose. I’ve never been very good at it. Going into tonights softball game I hadn’t been present at an Awestruck defeat. My ability to lose with grace had never been tested on the softball field. It was tonight.

My stat line: 1-2, walk, rbi. – from an offensive standpoint I played pretty well.
Fielding: 3 balls hit my way – 1 got past me (not exactly an error, but I should have made a play). I did make one error on a throw in from the outfield that I expected to hit the cutoff man. By the time I realized it was coming my way I misjudged it, allowing runners to advance from 1st and 2nd to 2nd and third. Frustrating situation late in the game as the other team was making a run.

We lost. I made some fielding mistakes that contributed to the loss (as did pretty much every position player). In our loss there was cause for great frustration…

But I see victory. Here’s my victory from tonight…

1. I’m a father of a 4 year old who was watching from the stands. He saw his daddy make some mistakes, lose a close game that he should have won, and handle himself like a man. After the game I asked him if who won; He said, “Awestruck!”. I never want my son to see my posture/language reveal a loser. Nor do I want him to see me whine and complain, throwing my glove or kicking dirt (like I have been known to do in the past). Our team was frustrated, but unlike other church league games I have participated in, we maintained our example to those watching.

2. I’m not a professional softball player. Tomorrow, I get to go to WORK as a minister of the gospel. In the end of time no one will care about tonights game. Heck, at the end of the season everyone makes the tournament anyway. We almost had to forfeit (which could cause us to miss tourny) – our loss was a win!

3. It was fun tonight. We hung out with church family. We played a game together. Several of us went out to eat afterwards. I almost couldn’t make it this evening, and I am so glad I did! I love hanging out with my Awestruck family…even if it means embarrassing ourselves a bit.

4. Our gathering tomorrow was prayed for. Charity Baptist church and Awestruck circled around to lift up our services tomorrow in prayer – requesting that our God would bring visitors and bless our time together. I believe in prayer. I believe in the fellowship of the (C)hurch & I rejoice in having the prayers of our brothers at Charity celebrating the work of the same God.

So, yea, I’m sitting at home tonight knowing I made a couple of bonehead plays. I know I could have gotten on base the time I was thrown out had I taken that pitch. I could have run the bases better…but I am sitting here feeling like a winner.