7/24/2011 - by Chuck Monan, Preaching Minister

And so in the strife of the battle of life
It’s easy to fight when you’re winning;
It’s easy to slave, and starve and be brave,
When the dawn of success is beginning.  
But the man who can meet despair and defeat
With a cheer, there’s the man of God’s choosing;
The man who can fight to Heaven’s own height
Is the man who can fight when he’s losing.
~ Robert Service

As a rule, I wouldn’t root for the Atlanta Braves if they were playing the Moscow Reds.  But on Oct. 8, 2010, I made an exception.

In the top of the 11th inning, Atlanta outfielder Rick Ankiel hit a home run win into McCovey Cove to beat the San Francisco Giants in the second game of the National League Division Series. It brought a smile to my face, because for the last ten years, I have been pulling for Ankiel on his arduous journey.  Let me explain ....

Years ago, Ankiel was brilliant as a St. Louis Cardinal pitcher, finishing runner-up for the 2000 NL Rookie of the Year award.  But in the playoffs that year, he suddenly was seized with terrible control problems.  He could not find the strike zone. His deliveries to the plate were so erratic that he was sent down to the minors in Memphis to address the problem.

In 2001 Ankiel pitched in a game in Oklahoma City.  I went to the ballpark to see for myself.  His first pitch sailed five feet over the batter’s head.  He threw nearly a dozen pitches to the screen, walked several, and even bounced a few simple tosses to first base.  Mercifully, the Memphis manager removed him after a few innings.  It was painful to watch this man struggle to overcome this problem.  He kept at it for the next four years, without much success.

By 2006 Ankiel made the decision to change positions from pitcher to outfielder.  It was a long-shot, to say the least.  But he kept working hard to improve, and on August 9, 2007 he made his second major-league debut.  St. Louis fans gave him a prolonged standing ovation.  Ankiel’s perseverance in the face of difficulty brings to mind the many people whose struggles are less publicized but even more difficult:

• The young student who is struggling to understand and pass a subject in school.
• The single mother who is struggling to raise her children by herself.
• The father who is struggling to earn enough money to provide for his family.
• The teenager who is struggling to be strong enough to avoid giving in to temptation.
• The Christian who is struggling to remain faithful to the Lord while facing numerous trials.

All of us will face different problems and difficult circumstances during our lives.  The key will be our willingness to keep doing our best no matter what.  The Bible reminds us, “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.” (Jas. 1:12).