Bottom of the Ninth #43 - Thank You

This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Congratulations to the Boston Red Sox, the 2013 World Series Champions!

Sounds nice, huh, Coach Timlin? Congratulations to the Valor Christian Eagles, whose season end came up short of a Colorado State Championship but whose character and growth and love are things for which they have much to be proud. Congratulations to every player, coach and umpire who took the field, every parent, grandparent and sibling who played, who cheered, who made a call and who lived and loved baseball this season. Thank you, our reader for your love of God and your love of this game, you have given us much encouragement to write and you have given us much to write about.

This was our rookie season at Bottom of the 9th. We heard stories of athletes, coaches, parents, grandparents and umpires, yes, even umpires. We had big league managers and players as readers, we had collegiate and high school and youth ball players and their families as readers. We had you as a reader, we even had some of you as writers and we thank you. We heard about love of the game and love of each other, we heard about angels in the outfield and love of a grandmother. We heard about the best plays by the best players, we heard about a little boy who only played once before he passed away but who was celebrated as a hero. We heard about a future Hall of Famer who touched us all with his play and his approach to the game. We heard about subtlety and nuance and we heard about being hit squarely between the eyes.

Once a week we heard God through this great game! We started something this season that we plan to keep alive into the future. Thank you for your readership, your inspiration and your faith. We have spent some time speaking of the mental aspects of baseball through Bottom of the 9th, really, we have tried to convey the spiritual beauty of this game. Bottom of the 9th is going to recognize the off-season, we will start back when pitchers and catchers report for 2014. Between now and then think of your Bottom of the 9th submission, jot down your ideas. Between now and then we want to wish you health and God’s comfort in your life, we have so much for which to be thankful.

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend.” - Melodie Beattie

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31