Keep Showing Up

I’m fortunate to be the chaplain for my former college softball team, so I’m back around the ballfield often and get to watch the game I love. During a back-to-back doubleheader, they played the same team both times. The day before, my girls won both games in shortened innings by the run rule. As each team took the field for their pregame warm-ups, I couldn’t help admiring the guts of the opposing team to climb aboard their bus, travel to campus, and prepare to play the same team that just crushed them.

That’s the beauty about competition; you keep showing up. Even when the odds seem to be stacked against us, we take a step onto the field and set our minds to compete as best as we are able. The pitcher kept throwing, the batters still stood in the batter’s box to hit, and they gave their all until the last out was recorded.

There’s much to admire about a team that won’t quit. And there’s much to admire about a person who keeps walking their faith walk, even when it hasn’t been easy. It takes courage to persevere.

In the Bible, Paul encourages us through his letter to Timothy to fight the good fight. To persevere. To hold fast to what we believe and stick to it. Life can be rough, and we can be tempted to waver in our faith and push pause. But God doesn’t want that. He wants us to keep showing up. It takes effort to keep going when we’re weary, but God is with us every step of the way, and He promises to restore us.

When it’s hard, we can continue forward in confidence, trusting that God is making a way. He calls us to be faithful to what is placed in front of us each day.

Let’s fix our eyes on Him for the glory of His Son and keep showing up.