I started playing Little League baseball when I was eight years old.
I was a decent fielder. I could catch the ball, throw the ball, and do my part when the ball was hit my way.
But batting was another story.
I struggled at the plate.
Most of the time, the only way I got on base was if I walked or got hit by a pitch. I'm not saying that was my official strategy, but some nights it worked better than swinging the bat.
Over the years, I improved some. I got a little better. I learned more about timing and watching the ball.
But even when I was fourteen, batting was still not my strong point.
Then came one particular game.
Our head coach had to be gone that night for some reason, so he missed the game. I don't remember what happened during my first two at-bats. They must not have been too memorable because they have faded away.
But I remember the third one.
It was the bottom of the seventh inning.
We were down by two runs.
It was our last chance to win the game.
The bases were loaded.
And I was up to bat.
For a boy who was not known for hitting, that was a pretty big moment.
I don't remember how many pitches were thrown.
I don't remember the count.
I don't remember what the pitcher looked like or what the crowd sounded like.
But I remember the crack of the bat.
The sound was different from anything I had ever felt before.
The ball jumped off the bat and sailed over the centerfield fence.
It was my first home run ever in a game.
Not only that, it was a grand slam.
We went from being behind by two runs to winning the game.
I was so excited running the bases that when I rounded second, I missed the bag.
One of the coaches started hollering at me from the dugout, telling me to go back and touch second base.
So I had to stop, turn around, and go back.
There I was, in the middle of the biggest baseball moment of my life, embarrassed because I had nearly messed it up by missing second base.
But I touched it.
Then I kept going.
I rounded third, headed for home, and crossed the plate with the winning run.
The following week, when our head coach returned, he heard what had happened.
He looked at me and said,
"Why did you wait until I was out of town to hit your first home run? I would have loved to have seen it."
I still laugh about that.
For years, I had struggled at the plate. I had probably made more trips to first base by being walked or hit than by solid hits.
But on that one night, in that one moment, when the bases were loaded and the game was on the line, everything came together.
That is how life works sometimes.
You can struggle in an area for years and start believing that is just who you are.
You can think, "I'm not good at this," because the evidence seems to say so.
You can fail enough times that you stop expecting anything different.
But then one day, the bat connects.
Not because you were perfect all along.
Not because every swing before that had gone well.
But because you stayed in the game long enough to be standing there when the right pitch came.
There is another lesson too.
Even when something wonderful happens, you still have to touch the bases.
Excitement does not excuse skipping the steps.
A home run still requires the runner to finish the path.
I could have hit the ball over the fence and still lost the moment if I had not gone back and touched second base.
That night taught me something I did not fully understand at the time.
Big moments can come after long struggles.
Surprises can show up when nobody expects them.
And when your chance finally comes, you may still have to slow down long enough to do things right.
I was not the best hitter on the team.
But for one night, with the bases loaded, two runs down, and the game on the line, I hit the ball over the centerfield fence.
The head coach may have missed it.
But I never forgot it.
🙏 Faith Note
"Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." — Galatians 6:9
Sometimes we spend years practicing, trying, failing, and trying again.
It can feel as though nothing is changing.
But God often works in seasons.
The harvest rarely appears the day after the seed is planted.
The important thing is to remain faithful, keep swinging, and trust that the right opportunity will come in its time.
😊 Smile Corner
Did you know...
A grand slam is one of the rarest and most exciting plays in baseball because it requires the bases to be loaded before the home run is hit.
Missing a base while running can result in an out if the opposing team notices and appeals the play.
Many baseball players remember the first home run they ever hit more clearly than games they played years later.
Baseball Smile:
A coach asked a young player,
"What is the hardest thing about baseball?"
The boy replied,
"Remembering to touch all the bases while pretending I planned that home run."
✨ A Thought to Remember
Life has a way of convincing us that our past struggles define our future.
But one breakthrough can change how we see ourselves.
One opportunity.
One success.
One moment when everything comes together.
The key is staying in the game long enough for that moment to arrive.
✉ Closing Thought
Most victories are built on a long history of mistakes, missed opportunities, and lessons learned.
The crowd sees the home run.
They rarely see the years of swings that came before it.
So if you're still struggling in an area of life, don't quit.
Your next at-bat may look very different from the last one.
👉 Have you ever experienced a breakthrough after years of struggling with something? We'd love to hear your story.
⚾ One Last Smile
I finally hit a grand slam.
Then nearly turned it into a very memorable out by forgetting second base.
Some lessons, apparently, require a little extra running