As a life-long baseball fan (who’s currently going through a bit of postseason withdrawal), I’ve noticed a trend growing over the years: players pointing to the sky (ostensibly to God) after they get a big hit.

While some people consider this to be nothing more than ostentatious showboating, others see it as a sign of humility–a player giving thanks to God, showing their gratitude for the blessings bestowed upon them.

And I’m all in favor of that. I feel that expressing gratitude is one of the most important and reverential acts we can partake in. But, in most sports-related instances, I’m not impressed.

Because here’s the thing: Players only point to the sky after a big hit. You never see players point to the sky after they strike out. (Or drop a ball. Or throw a wild pitch.)

Now that would impress me. That would convince me of a player’s true faith. That would strike me as an act of true gratitude!

Because anyone can be happy when they hit a homerun, when their team is winning, when things are going their way. But it takes deep faith and a generous spirit to express thanks in hard times–in times of failure (or apparent failure). It takes true humility to accept that even a loss may be for the higher good.

And it takes a wider perspective: Maybe you’re being offered a lesson in the form of a disappointment. Maybe the other team needed the victory more than you did. Or maybe God has more important things to worry about than your batting average.

Or maybe an apparent failure is really a blessing in disguise–a blessing beyond our current comprehension. Perhaps someday we’ll be able to look back and have it all make sense. Or perhaps it never will.

But to be able to offer thanks for everything–even disappointments, frustrations, and setbacks–regardless of whether or not we can see the “silver lining”–now THAT is true gratitude.

So, this Thanksgiving (and beyond), I invite us all to offer thanks for every part of our lives: the homeruns as well as the strikeouts. It’s all a part of life, which, after all, is the greatest blessing of all.

Happy Thanksgiving! 🙂

PS: Another quirk of this sky-pointing phenomenon is that it never seems to happen on defense. I’ve never seen a shortstop point skyward after a diving stop or a catcher pointing to God after blocking a ball in the dirt with a man on third.
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