On Wings Of Eagles

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Thursday, September 6, 2012

What Label Do You Wear?


Ephesians 1:7 (New International Version)
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace.

Throughout baseball's long history, several baseball players have made terrible mistakes or errors that cost their team dearly. In September of 1908, Giants player Fred Merkle committed what author Noel Hynd calls "baseball's most famous lapse." Dave Anderson says it has "endured for nearly a century as baseball's most controversial moment in baseball's most controversial pennant race."

It happened in the ninth inning of a Giants vs. Cubs game. The Giants came to bat with a chance to win. There were only three weeks left in the season and a win against the Cubs would put the Giants back in first place. There were two outs, with a runner on third and Fred Merkle on first.

Al Bridwell stepped up to the plate and hit a line drive into right center. The runner on third crossed the plate with the winning run but Merkle, instead of touching second, turned and ran quickly back to the clubhouse to avoid the oncoming crowd. The game was over, or so he and everyone else thought......

A Cubs player noticed that Merkle had not touched second, took a ball to second base and called it to the umpire's attention. Later that night, the umpire ruled that Merkle was out and the next morning the National League allowed the ruling, saying the game had ended in a 1-1 TIE.

In the press, Fred Merkle was blasted! Merkle retired after the 1926 season and he retreated to the seclusion of Florida . Fred Merkle spent his remaining days in Daytona Beach . He became ill and passed away on March 2nd, 1956. Some years earlier, he had given an interview. In the back of a tackle shop, he told the reporter, "I suppose when I die, they'll put on my tombstone, 'Here Lies Bonehead Merkle.'"

The world can be an unforgiving place. Make a mistake and you may NEVER hear the end of it. Make a BIG enough mistake, and it can ruin your life and label you forever as a goof, a loser, or even a bonehead.

Thank goodness God doesn't work that way! He sent His Son to die on a cross so that you can be forgiven of your sins, so that you can be redeemed through the blood spilt on the cross, so that you can enjoy the richness of God's grace. *



Dear Lord we thank You that the label we can wear because of You is “Saved” Help us today to share that great message with those around us. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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