Four Homers in 36 Years
Tuesday, October 14, 2025
“Don’t quit because you’re not the best. God is calling you to your best.” – Tim Tebow
During my 36-year softball career that may or may not be over, I was known as a slick-fielding singles hitter. I played shortstop for a few years, but most of my time with The Saints Prison Ministry and Risk Takers for Christ was spent at second base.
Because I didn’t have the strongest arm, I learned to catch, transfer, and throw the ball in one quick, fluid motion. In fact, one of my teammates who had played in the minor leagues with the New York Yankees, once told me that I had the fastest hands he’d ever seen.
At bat, I realized that I couldn’t hit the ball over the fence, which usually was 300’ or more from home plate. And so, I learned to “hit ‘em where they ain’t”, slashing line drives up the middle, down either line, or just over the infielders’ outstretched gloves. I was also willing to “work a walk”, which gave me a high on-base percentage and made me an effective leadoff hitter.
During my long softball career, I smacked a grand total of four home runs… and only one of them actually cleared the fence. The other three were “gappers” that eluded the outfielders long enough for me to circle the bases. That’s a pretty miniscule number, especially compared to the power hitters on our team who would sometimes record that many homers in a single game.
However, realizing what I couldn’t do freed me up to concentrate on – and maximize – what I could do… and do well. That’s the point Tim Tebow is making in today’s quote and the point that the Apostle Paul made in Romans 12:4-5 when he wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and not all members have the same function, so in Christ we who are many are one body, and each member belongs to one another.” (BSB)
Paul echoed the same sentiment in I Corinthians 12:14 when he said that “the body is not one member but many”. He went on to add that the foot shouldn’t desire to be a hand, and the ear shouldn’t complain because it’s not an eye.
In other words, it takes every skill set – singles hitters and home run hitters – to make a winning softball team; and it takes every part of the body of Christ to proclaim the gospel and build God’s kingdom on earth.
Just do your part… and leave the rest to your brothers and sisters in Christ.
“Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.” I Corinthians 12:27 (BSB)
- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President
