REFLECTIONS

Sittin’ and Thinkin’

“Don’t look back. Something might be gaining on you.” This philosophy, attributed to the legendary baseball pitcher “Satchel” Paige, produces laughter when taken as encouragement for one to hide from reality or the fear of it. But it may encourage one to keep looking forward without distraction from anything else around. Neither interpretation is without fault; still his words may cause one to pause and think.

“Sometimes I sits and thinks and sometimes I just sits,” Satchel said, and you know, it’s not a bad thing to do. God told us the same thing. “Be still, and know that I am God.” So sometimes it’s good to just sit and think even if it causes us to look back to find something is gaining on us. If nothing else is, certainly time will be. And the old pitcher had something to say about that subject too.

He often quoted Mark Twain, “Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, then it don’t matter.” But then the old guy has me sittin’ and thinkin’ about this question. “How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you was?” Ole Satchel didn’t like to talk about his age, so he seemed to have taken the liberty to choose one in his mind. Maybe the age he envisioned to be helped him play in the Major Leagues at age 59. Or his longevity may have been born from this. “Ain’t no man can avoid being born average, but there ain’t no man got to be common.” Leroy “Satchel” Paige wasn’t.

Born July 7, 1906, he learned to pitch while serving a stint in reform school. He turned pro in 1926, but because of the color barrier in the Major Leagues he wasn’t allowed to play there until it was broken in 1948. He played five seasons in the Majors; but then at age 59, he returned to pitch three scoreless innings allowing the Kansas City Athletics no runs and but one hit. Nothing common about that.

But as remarkable as the length of his career are the simple philosophies he voiced through his lifetime. The nuggets of wisdom found in them are enough to keep me sittin’ and thinkin’ today.

“You win a few, you lose a few. Some get rained out. But you got to dress for them all.” Now I’m sittin’and thinkin’. Some days are good. Others not so much. But be ready for them all.

“Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve. Find another way. And don’t pray when it rains if you don’t pray when the sun shines.” Now I’m sittin’ and thinkin’. Don’t become discouraged. Praise God in good times and bad.

“Work like you don’t need the money. Love like you’ve never been hurt. Dance like nobody’s watching.” Now I’m sittin’ and thinkin’ today. Do all things as to the Lord. Love without reserve. Live as God made you to be. Ain’t no man got to be common.

You are the light of the world,

Richard +

www.reflectingthesavior.org.

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