"You'll get 'em next time!"

It's baseball season once again.  And as proof that God's favorite sport is baseball I offer you this post.

There's an often said, though not so famous phrase said in baseball.  Most people if they've played baseball have heard it, often said it, though outside of the game you're not likely to hear it.

It's most often said when a batter strikes out.  As they make their way back to the dug out, one or two of their teammate will slap them on the back and say, "You'll get 'em next time!"

Unfortunately, because this phrase has been said so often, for soooo many years, it's lost it's luster a bit.  But let's buff it a little bit and take a look at it.

"You'll get 'em next time!"

What a fabulous phrase - and I don't call ANYTHING fabulous.

There are two great points in this phrase.

1) Next time.

Next time!  Yes, there is a next time!  I may have struck out at this at bat, but there will be a next time, a next at bat, another opportunity!

Oh, sure, it may not be in the given game i have struck out in.  Might not be in the next game, if I'm not in the roster, nor will for sure be in the same league or with the same team...but there will be a NEXT TIME!

2) You'll get 'em.

Said flippantly it doesn't mean anything, but if said with a true heart it tells the person, the batter - I know you are capable of more and I have faith that you will do better next time.  But it's not in a condemning way, but in an encouraging way!

You CAN do better, and I bet you WILL!

You CAN get a home run, or a double...I've seen you do it, I have faith you WILL get 'em! Next Time!

We do this, say this because we know they didn't MEAN to strike out and we have seen them do better and know that they WANT to do better and are just as disappointed, if not more so at themselves than we could ever be, so we try to help pick them up.  We don't want this strikeout to affect the rest of their game, they are a part of the team, we need them to be at their best, just like they need us to be!

We might even remind the hitter when they knocked the cover off the ball off the pitcher before and other times they came through at the plate.

One thing we don't do though, is yell and chastise them.  We don't scream at them saying, "How in the hell could you have done that!  You know we needed that hit!  What were you thinking?  Great, now I don't get to hit until next inning!  It's not like you haven't hit the ball before!  Did you even TRY to make contact?"

Of course not...what good would come of that?

Yet, isn't this what we do with our walk with Jesus?

If not just ourselves, to others?  Even if it's just in our head?

I know I have...and still do from time to time.

I shake my head at someone and say, "why did they swing at that pitch?"  "Why did they do THAT?  Clearly that wasn't a good thing."

Sometimes, given the right mood, I might even go about pointing this out to them, and explaining where they went wrong and what they needed to have done and how they could have done it far better than they did because they clearly weren't paying attention or praying about it so God would want me to point these things out to them, I'm just holding them accountable for your actions because if I don't, they might not be aware of what they did wrong.

Is that what Jesus taught us to do?

No.

The job of the coach is to work with each player on what they are good at and what need practice on...WE on the other hand have quite a bit different job: we are to DO OUR BEST and to CHEER each other on and pick each other UP when we are down.

Jesus is our coach...let's let him do his job and let's focus on ours.

So let's start patting each other the back and say, "You'll get 'em next time!"

After all, isn't that what we'd want to hear ourselves when WE STRIKE OUT?

Yes.

So have faith, keep your head up, because I believe YOU WILL GET 'EM NEXT TIME!