Persistence

I was listening to the Mack, Jurko and Harry show on ESPN 1000 radio the other day. Once a week they have Cubs second basemen Mark Derosa (De row) on the show.

He has become well known in Chicago for not avoiding questions and always having great stories to share. He was responding to a question regarding pitcher Ted Lilly. He recalled a playoff game last year when a particular player went yard on Ted Lilly and Lilly responded in a Bad News Bears-esque manner throwing his mitt on the ground. Early this year Lilly was facing the same hitter and delivered an identical low, inside fast ball and was taken long again. DeRosa approached the mound and said "last year he took you deep on a low inside pitch. He just did it again. I think he has your low inside stuff figured out." Lilly just scowled at him and said "I'm bringing it again next time I face him!"

Often, pitchers like Lilly are described as Bulldogs. Reminds me of a story my dad tells about an English Bulldog he had as a kid. It would go in the pig pen and bite the Boar on the tale. The boar would spin in circles, lifting the bulldog off his feet, and slam the bulldog into the side of the barn. The bulldog would hit the ground and in one leap would have the boar's tail in his mouth again.

There is something about stupid persistence that is quite noble sometimes. Like my friend, Scott's father who would pack his lunch, walk to work every morning and return home every evening in order to support his family. Or my friend Thad, who was too stubborn to give in to his disability but steadfastly, persistently held on to God's promise of healing and left the wheelchair and is still independent to this day. Maybe it's like my old Bible College friend I recently reconnected with that has lived his life in a massive struggle of identity of self and reconciling that to his faith. Who has made the courageous decision to truly deny himself, against seemingly every fiber of his being, and offer his body as a living sacrifice to God. Or perhaps the inner city worker who sees one young person after another succumb to his surroundings only to get up another day and work with yet another young person that might be spared. Maybe it's the single mom who gives her life to her children and sets aside all her desires and comforts to provide for them. Maybe it's like Jacob who was deceived and cheated yet was too persistent to give up and worked another 7 years for his true love Rachel. Maybe it's my son Karston who gets up every day and goes through a routine of medications and interruptions in his day just to function with his disability. Maybe it's what I need to remember and learn from my son, that I just need to get up every day and keep on grinding, because the blessing is in store.

How about you? In what area of your life do you need to just keep firing low inside fastballs regardless of how many times life takes you yard? Do you have the courage to be a stupid, persistent bulldog? Let me know how and where you can be more bulldogish in your life.