We were next to the pier in Spain longer than we’d planned due to equipment that needed repair, and parts were required but were in limited supply. It can be frustrating to be in the spotlight, knowing that the whole crew is waiting for your gear to work so that the ship can get underway. The stress can be tremendous for anyone, let alone the young men and women that crew our destroyers. Offering encouragement and support was the purpose of this prayer.
Though you may fail, take a chance.
Maury Wills spent most of his 13 year Major League career playing shortstop for the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was a 7-time All-Star, 3-time World Series champ, and won the National League MVP in 1962. That season Wills stole 104 bases to lead the majors and break the 47 year old record for stolen bases in a season held by Ty Cobb. Maury Wills wasn’t the fastest runner in baseball, but he accelerated with remarkable speed, and also studied the pitchers relentlessly, watching their pick-off moves even when he wasn’t on base.
In 1965, he led the league in stolen bases again, but he also led in a different, less-prestigious statistic. He was picked off more than any other base-runner that year, 31 times. But, as the saying goes, you can’t steal second while standing on first. Life is a little like base stealing in that to do it well one must assume some risk, and take some chances. The catch is that when you expose yourself to risks, there will be times when you will fail. The only way that you really lose, however, is if you quit taking the risk just because you failed. Maury Wills always got up and tried again, and that’s why we remember him. He is a man who wouldn’t stay down.
The writer of Proverbs points out that “though a righteous man may fall seven times, he still gets up; but the wicked stumble in bad times.” Getting up and going on are two secrets to success in life as well as in baseball. Whether it’s constantly repairing the same stubborn equipment, a relationship back home, or any of the many things that persistently knock us down, the fact is that we will fall, and yet we have the ability to get back up as often as we must. Moreover, when we get back up on our feet we will rise with more knowledge, insight, and skill, so that maybe we can get to the bag safely next time.
LET US PRAY
Father God, help us to see that life is a constant balance of risk and reward. Give us the courage to accept the risk that comes with leading a life of consequence. When we inevitably fall, help us to rise up and try again every time. While we are down, remind us that we are not alone, that You are there to be our strength in times of weakness. Help us to refine our skills after every fall so that we can keep on rising, better equipped to remain standing. For you are a good God, who loves mankind, and it is in Your Name that we pray
AMEN
An Orthodox Priest Abroad 