A High Bar — Brenda L. Burns

The 2019 World Series begins today! Baseball is my sport, a favorite pastime, and I’m almost always tuned in for the World Series, even when my team is not playing. I have been a Chicago Cubs fan since at least the 1970’s - and I don’t have a great explanation of how I became a Cubs fan. I have never actually been to Chicago, I grew up in Florida, the Cincinnati Reds were the team that held spring training in my home town of Tampa. So I’m not sure how to explain my love of the Cubs, but I can say that it is real.

Some years back, during the Sammy Sosa era, I got to go to a Cubs game at Camden Yards. Of course, Cal Ripken was still playing, too, so it was a star-studded game all around. That was amazing!

Then, Washington got our own baseball team - the Washington Nationals. So I began following the Nats, and eventually pulling for them unless they were playing the Cubs. I’ve been to two or three Nats/Cubs games here in DC - and it has been really interesting trying to tune in to my loyalties. One year I took both of my caps, thinking I’d take turns each inning, but by the end of the game I had to admit my heart was pulling for the Nationals. That was weird!

In 2016, both the Nationals and the Cubs made the playoffs. I told myself I was for the Nationals until they were out, and then I was for the Cubs. I’m glad they didn’t wind up playing each other - not sure how I would have handled it! And that’s the year that the Cubs won it all!!! I was almost delirious with happiness. People in my office put signs and decorations on my door. It was fantastic!

So now it’s 2019, and it has been a weird baseball year for me. The Nationals start to the season can only be called awful. I had a high-demand summer, and pretty much managed to tune out of baseball, which is again - weird! But as September came around, I realized that we may very well have a Nationals/Cubs wild card scenario, so I began paying attention. And as the Nationals got better and better, the Cubs faded. So no discord in my heart - I could cheer full-on for the Washington Nationals, while kind of guarding my emotions from yet another loss in the division series. But we won! We defeated the best-record-in-the-league Dodgers! That was awesome!

Here’s the high bar. My church practices honor and appreciation, and once they realized that the Nationals were in the League Championship Series, they went to work to get me tickets to Game 4!!!!! So I was in the stands, along with Craig, watching the Nationals win Game 4 and punch their ticket to the WORLD SERIES!!! The church leadership joked that they may have set the bar a little high this year for pastor appreciation!! No worries - I feel appreciated to the moon, and don’t feel entitled to such an awesome gift every year.

What brings you enjoyment and fun? Sometimes disappointment keeps us from letting ourselves hope, and we set a really low bar - low expectations, low passion, low enjoyment. I want to encourage you today to find the courage to hope, the will to delight, the strength to enjoy the simple things.

I’m looking forward to watching Game 1 tonight, (on TV!) and cheering for the Nationals to win the World Series. The bar is high, but I’m willing to risk disappointment in order to enjoy the ride!

Scripture Meditation and Affirmation:

Habakkuk 3:18
…yet I will rejoice in the Lord!
I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!

1 Timothy 6:17b
Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.

Prayer:
Lord, please help us enjoy life according to your word - not in selfishness or greed, but in delight and gratitude for your goodness. You have set a very high bar - your love endures forever. Help us to keep our eyes lifted up and our hope anchored in you.