COLUMN — Celebrate the grand slams, don’t worry about the small stuff

Published 5:28 pm Wednesday, March 31, 2021

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I remember watching my oldest son hit his first home run in baseball.

Bases loaded. He launched it over left field at Neblett Field in Victoria. Running as hard as he could, he didn’t know until he got to third that he had hit his first home run.

A grand slam! He was elated. Hitting a grand slam is something special. But what about hitting two grand slams in the same game?

According to baseball-almanac.com, this feat has occurred only 13 times in American baseball. To make this even better, only once in MLB history has a player hit two grand slams in the same inning. April 23, 1999, Fernando Tatis of the Cardinals in his third season in the majors did so in the third inning. He was the only player in recorded history to do this until February 20 when Caleb Pendleton, a freshman at Florida Atlantic University, launched two grand slams in the second inning during his first two collegiate at bats.

“Nothing I could ever dream of. That’s definitely more than I ever thought would happen preparing for today . . . That was pretty cool,” Pendleton told Fox News.

It was an impressive beginning. The rest of the game he had a sac fly, a pop up to the shortstop and a strikeout swinging. But who cares! He had two grand slams in the same inning!

If you heard this story, you probably didn’t know his next three at bats were outs. Why not? They don’t matter. Just like the “outs” in your life . . . don’t worry about the small stuff and the mistakes in life when the most important detail is the one we need to celebrate.

Pendleton achieved something only one other player in history is known for, two grand slams in the same inning. Is he concerned over the next three at bats being outs? Nope. Even the fifth at bat in the game when he struck out, he went down swinging. He was still striving to do well.

Easter is this coming Sunday and MLB begins April 1. No matter who you are, what you have done, what you think, Jesus died for your sins.

The victory is already yours if you grab ahold of hit and celebrate. Better than any grand slam you’ll ever experience. Jesus makes sure you win this game when you accept Him, seek forgiveness of sins and wash your past away in baptism and go out daily celebrating this victory. Romans chapter five says “While we were still sinners…Christ died for us.” As you are. Broken. Hurt. Mistakes you wish hadn’t happened. God forgives all and desires you come home and celebrate.

Father, thank You for the Easter story. Because of Jesus I am alive. In Him, amen.