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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PPS: Registration just opened for my wife Jodi’s ecourse–click banner below for details:
Dan,
It’s total synchronicity that I thought of you blog and decided to see what you’re up to. When I read this posting, I had to smile. It’s a total God thing! You see, today, I did a gratitude exercise that’s not your normal “make a list of things you’re grateful for.” Rather, the instructions were to write 5 pages in your journal being grateful for the way things are in your life, including things that you objectively don’t want, because these conditions teach you something. So, I wrote and wrote and wrote, and it turned into 7 pages–most of it being truly grateful for what I’ve learned from what hasn’t gone well in my life over the past 1 1/2 years. Now you see why I say it’s a God thing that I thought of your blog today of all days?
Thank you for your post, Dan! And, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your beautiful wife!
Best,
Alice
Thank you, Alice. I’m so glad that this reinforced an important message for you right now.
Yes, it’s easy to be grateful for things that are enjoyable–winning an award, getting a compliment, or hitting a homerun. But the hard experiences can definitely turn out to be some of the best teachers. I know that when Jodi and I look back at our lives, we see that some of the “strikeouts” were just teachers moving us in a different/better direction–times when mini-successes might have prolonged making an important change (e.g., struggles in our gift business leading us to do more writing, ecourses, and other things that nourish our souls).
So glad that you’ve got (at least) 7 pages of recent lessons under your belt. I’m sure that reflecting on them has helped the lessons sink in–so you won’t have to repeat them!
I’m so grateful for you and your support, encouragement, and kindness.
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
Dan,
Just loved this article! Have never seen anyone point to the sky after missing a play. gratitude is something one lives every second of every minute of every day. then everything that comes….good, bad, or whatever……..lessons to learn and thrive on.
i love this blog, dan……..look forward to reading every one!
HAPPY THANKSGIVING to you and jodi………..love you both!!!!
nitamom
Thank you, Nita! So glad that you enjoyed this post and that it served as a reminder (to all of us) that gratitude is about every moment of every day–regardless of what’s going on in that moment. I’m so grateful to have you in my life!!! 🙂
I’m not real sure how I found your blog, other than I have been searching for self help and inspirational websites and blogs. I have had to make some tough decisions lately and feel like I’m in the middle of a hurricane. I’m so glad I found you blog!
Jennie
Welcome, Jennie–I’m so glad that you found me! 🙂
It’s great that you’re searching for inspiration while you’re in the midst of a “hurricane”–a time when a lot of people withdraw and/or have a hard time seeing beyond their current situation. But it’s probably the most important time to reach out, consider different perspectives and see if any of them resonate with you or help with your current situation/decisions in any way.
I hope that I and/or others can spark some insight or ignite your own inner wisdom in some helpful, enlightening way, even if it’s just knowing that you’re not alone–there are lots of us looking for insight and inspiration along the journey, and grateful to help one another when we can.
Thank you so much for taking the time to stop by, read, and share your thoughts. Hope to “see” you again. 🙂