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I miss sports.

Specifically, I miss baseball.

The smell of a fresh dragged field. The sound of a baseball whizzing through the air. The smell of fresh popcorn. The taste of a hotdog, cold drink and French fries covered in ketchup while sitting on paint-chipped bleachers, a sun-heated seat or a lawn chair.

The shouts of fans, coaches, angry moms, players and adoring grandparents as they watch their favorite player and teams.

Ahhhh… baseball.

Do you know what I miss most about baseball? Seeing players give it their all.

In sports, if you’re facing an opponent you don’t feel you can beat, you still go all out. You never walk on the field saying, “There’s no need in even trying.” No, you go all out. You fight to the end.

We have all seen the “unbeatable” team go down in flames against the team no one paid attention to. You leave it all on the field. When the last out is called, you should be out of breath because you gave your best and kept going until it was all over.

Even if you lose, you can at least say you gave it your best. What if we handled all things of life with this mentality? What if we gave 100% of ourselves to our jobs? What if we gave 100% of ourselves to our marriages? What if we gave 100% of ourselves to our worship?

I know. I know.

“Preacher, that’s easy for you to say. You don’t know who I’m married too. You don’t work where I work. You don’t know what my kids are like.

Not everyone has a loving and outgoing church family.

Stop. Just stop thinking that way. While you may not have the best “team” working with you that should never stop you from giving 100%. You can’t answer for others but you can and will answer for yourself.

You see, if when the end comes of all things and you can’t say you gave everything your best there will always be that “what if.”

Don’t give up. Take a time out. Catch your breath. Grab some water. Then get back in the game. Give it all you got. Be in it to win it. The wisest human ever, Solomon, said, “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might, for in the grave, where you are going there is neither working nor planning nor knowledge for wisdom (Ecclesiastes 9:10, NIV).

“Do your marriage, parenting, friendships, career, life with all your might. Give everything 100%. Leave it on the field so that when all is said it done, you are spent because you gave your best. #bethegood

Rev. J. Cameron Bailey is pastor of Kenbridge Christian Church. He can be reached at jamescameronbailey@gmail.com.