Green Pastures: Baseball ‘20 and COVID-19

For someone like me, a lifelong Dodgers fan, October was a very good month. In the midst of the Dodgers’ impressive run to the World Series championship I had occasion to reflect on several WS memories. Strangely or not, the first stands out.

1963. My first Dodgers World Series. LA swept the Yankees. The fourth game was on a Sunday afternoon -- I would be able to watch the whole game. But, about the 7th inning my brother and I got into an argument and my mom made me turn off the TV. Everything was going so well, and then …. 

Jump to this November. I caught COVID-19. Everything was going so well, and then …. I had been diligent about mask-wearing and hand-washing, etc., but apparently not diligent enough. So, what does one do when forced to confront unexpected circumstances? I learned quickly what my mom expected of me. Is there anything God is trying to tell me?

Back in May I actually jotted down some ideas for a bulletin article about the pandemic. It would be called something like “Re– Wording is Rewarding”. Think of all the words that have suddenly become things everyone can/should do during ‘these unprecedented times’. Re-assess, re-boot, re-connect, re-direct. Is it possible to go through the whole alphabet? I’ll leave it to you to finish, if you wish.

When I felt my first covid symptoms I thought, “Well, if I have the virus I’ll have time to catch up on some reading.” As it turned out, for ten days I didn’t want to do much more than sleep. Now I wonder if maybe it’s not about what I can do to make the best of my encounter with covid. Maybe it’s about God asking me to stop and recognize what he’s doing. I’m drawn to Psalm 23.
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     The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
     He makes me lie down in green pastures, 
       he leads me beside quiet waters.

I’d like to think that green pastures include baseball fields, but that is probably a stretch. On the other hand, does God lead each of us through the same pastures and beside the same waters? Even if Covid never hits you hard, but especially if it does, take time to find the green pastures and quiet waters he has prepared for you. 

Above all, wherever that is, enjoy the promise of our Shepherd for his sheep: 
“He refreshes my soul.”

~Larry Good