We were at the bottom half of the game. The other team was up a good number of points and our boys had the looks of defeat written all over their faces. The fielders struggled and fumbled the ball, the pitchers were walking the players to first base and our boys were striking out. This was not their Baseball game. The parents in the sidelines continued to cheer in hopes to increase their stamina. The coaches trying to motivate and encourage in any way possible. After a while we all started to feel the sense of defeat creep over us like a hovering dark cloud. Then, one unexpected player walks up to the plate, with a bat in his hand. The pitcher throws him a clean pitch, that ball hits the bat and takes a ride way out in the outfield. The bases that were once loaded send our boys to home plate and points begin to add. We tie for a moment. Hope starts to build. Then, the same player walks up and does almost the exact same play. It may have started out not their game. However, it ended as their winning one. Friend, sometimes in life we may feel defeated and that things are just not going well. We have two choices, give into that fear of failure, or just keep doing our best, playing the game. God has a way of stepping up to the base and sending us all home. Taking us when we are at our worst and giving us victory! It was a close game. Victory felt extra today. Not because we did great the whole way, but because we could have lost. One kid though, he still kept swinging. Keep swinging my friend. God can take your losing game, and turn it around. For there is always victory in God. The only way to truly lose, is giving up.

Erin Fitts-Brower

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 NIV

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.