Lent usually occurs in March, and so does the Grapefruit League of Baseball. Joel and I always try to get in at least a couple of games at JetBlue Park, and sometimes it’s a balancing act between Lenten programs and baseball games. I remember singing in a Lenten program in Lake Placid, and rushing out the back door of the church to meet a group already at the JetBlue! It might seem like a strange combination, but ironically, it fits together.

In a morning devotional entitled Running Toward Home, Billy Graham began by quoting Psalm 90:12: Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. He talked about his dedication to baseball, how he pictured himself hitting a big-league grand slam into the stadium and hearing the crowd roar as he ran the bases—nearing home. He never imagined what really lay in store for him. But the idea of nearing home was still exactly where the Lord would lead him…and us.

Life and basebal1 ... first base: growing up, learning what it means to be a productive individual; second base, the longest and most complicated part of life ... careers, marriage, children, earthly things that keep us so far “home base;” third base, where so many of us find ourselves today. We’ve rounded second base, become content with the life we’ve made for ourselves, and moving closer and closer to home base.

During this season of Lent, be faithful to your devotions, and when you watch baseball, remember your journey toward home!