Baseball is almost over for the season and I will go into a bit of a withdrawal! I know that may sound extreme to some, but I do love the sound of the bat hitting the ball followed by, “Ther-r-r-r-e she goes!” As I reflect back on my childhood I remember going with my friends to the Maple Leaf Stadium in Toronto to watch the minor league baseball team, The Toronto Maple Leafs. I would go fully armed with my baseball mitt in hand, choosing to sit on the first base side and praying for a ball to come my way, yet all the while being terrified that it would! With my childhood behind me, I enjoy the game from our TV, especially when the Jays are playing!
From the mind of a child, the rules of baseball were pretty simple: the ball was pitched, hopefully you’d hit it, and then you’d run, determined to beat the throw to first base. When an umpire made a bad call, you’d shamelessly chant, “Kill the ump!” hollering at the top of your lungs at the man who knew the rules better than you ever could. But the game that appeared simple to the mind of a child no longer appears simple today. Endless statistics and multiple acronyms describe the performance of a player, the type of ball a pitcher throws and its speed. Rules that were nonexistent when I was a child can change from one season to the next, and although it can be hard to get your head around the changes and the reason for them, you ultimately concede to the powers that be. Obviously they know more about the strategy of playing the game than you do, so you happily give up three hours of your time to watch your favourite sport, knowing how short the season is.
Those memories are sweet, protected in my grey matter, and I’m prepared to challenge anyone who questions their authenticity. They will never change, and I would be hard pressed to wonder why someone would waste time questioning them!
This brings to mind a song I heard several years ago. I’ve failed to track it down, but the one line has stayed with me ever since I heard it: “Why waste time on things you cannot change.” The author seems to be suggesting that time is precious, don’t waste it. And I would heartily agree. Each of us is allotted a certain amount over our lifetime. Some define this time as the dash between the two dates that bookend our lives. Others live moment by moment with an approach of “what will be, will be.” Still others are self-driven, high risk-takers, and will not allow a moment to go by without purpose. I believe that regardless of how we approach the time allotted to us, our success, our happiness, our relationships with family and friends, and most importantly, our relationship with God, often, if not always, defines who we are.
Setting aside that slight diversion, let me return to the one line mentioned above by putting it in the form of a question: “Why waste time on things you cannot change?”
Granted, there are times when positive change—something over which we have control—can be, perhaps should be implemented into our lives. Such a change is never a waste of time. On the other hand, the lyrics challenge us not to waste time on things over which we have no control, things we cannot change. Things such as the weather, unsolicited opinions on politics, news (that often brings out the dark side of life), and, yes, even time wasted on complaining how poorly the Blue Jays fared this season. Why waste time on grumbling about the rain that we can’t control or our favourite ball team who should have performed better than they did? In truth, we really can’t change what is beyond our reach.
But what about those things that we can change? Seriously, there are many, probably too many to list, so I’ll just mention the one that stands out most in my mind: our attitude! Our attitude is within our realm to change. We can’t change the weather when it has a disappointing affect on our day, but we can change our attitude and adjust our plans accordingly. We can’t change what is shared over the airwaves, but we can choose to be educated or, if upsetting, racist, or fanatical, we can shut off the source. We can’t change the prejudicial behaviour of a neighbour, but we can change our attitude in how we respond. And how about the evil that is prevalent in our world even as I write this? The average person has no resources to change what is happening globally, save one! We can pray!
I am quite certain that most of us have heard of the Serenity Prayer.* Although known most widely in its abbreviated form…
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
…the entire prayer reads as follows:
God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.
Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it.
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.
Amen.
As I’ve read this prayer in its entirety, I feel somewhat humbled at my weak attempt to address the idea of wasting time when such a prayer satisfies all aspects I’ve attempted to approach. Certainly I’ve been reminded, once again, of how I should and need to approach the space between my dates!
Have a blessed day!
*Serenity Prayer was written by American theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) who first wrote the prayer for a sermon at Heath Evangelical Union Church in Heath, Massachusetts.
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