Take me out to the Ball Game

Bricktown Ballpark (Photo: Joseph Mills Photography)

I enjoy watching Baseball but not on TV, I enjoy going to the ball park, eating peanuts, cheering on the team, watching the game live and always wanting to catch a foul ball or a home run ball. I have been to Atlanta Braves, Texas Rangers, Oklahoma City Redhawks, Frisco Rough Riders, and other games but I still have not caught a souvenir ball.

So I read about this young boy who caught a foul ball at the Giants game and than gave it to the older man in front of him. The boy’s family, friends and the fans around him greeted the move with lots of smiles and applause. Why would he give a foul ball to this older man? Why, because before he caught his foul ball the older man caught one and gave the souvenir ball to him. What a great gesture that both of these guys did for each other. This reminds us of the friends you can make and the experiences you can have each time you go to the ballpark. We hear stories of fans wrestling in the garbage for a baseball, stories of fans beating up other fans just because they cheer for a different team and a story of two women fighting over a bat at a Royals game.

It’s great to hear stories of people sharing, caring and even giving foul balls way to the person next to you. I applaud this young boy who when it was his turn to catch the ball, he gave it to the man who just gave him a ball instead of keeping both. That would be hard for me since I have never caught a foul ball, but this young boy is an example to me. Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:12: “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.” We can learn so much from the youth around us by the examples they set. If you are young and reading this blog, you can be an example to anyone you come in contact with.

We need more young people stepping up to the plate and being an example in their speech, in their lifestyle, in their faith and in their purity. This young man showed all of these traits by just returning the favor to this older man. He could of kept both balls but he didn’t. We need young people who are willing to walk the walk and talk the talk, and who are willing to be like Jesus. Jesus is our greatest example and we need to walk in his footsteps. Peter writes in 1 Peter 2:21,” For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.” Jesus left us a pattern to follow, an example to live by and we should follow in his steps. As young people can be great examples for us, we need to be great examples for them and not just for them but for everyone we come in contact with. Are you following in the footsteps of Jesus?