A No-Hitter

On this date (June 11, 2009), exactly 19 years ago, one of baseball’s greatest pitchers, Nolan Ryan, pitched his sixth “no-hitter” in his career as he and the Texas Rangers beat the Oakland A’s 5-0.

As a former “pitcher” with a semi-pro team, I know just a little about how difficult it is to throw that all-elusive no hit game. Ryan got the best of his opponents for a number of outstanding reasons…one of which is the fact that he worked at being the most effective pitcher in the Major Leagues. He went on to retire with 5,714 strikeouts and 52 additional major league records in his twenty-six years in the big leagues.

One thing I know; whenever you work exceedingly hard at something or for something, usually, that hard work…that diligence, pays big dividends. It’s like the person who asked an amazing concert violinist in New York’s Carnegie Hall how she became so skilled. She said that it was by “planned neglect.” She planned to neglect everything that was not related to her goal.

Maybe for you, there are some less important things in your life that could stand some planned neglect so that you can give yourself to the purposes and plans of the God who holds your future in His hands.

So, what will it be; business as usual for you, or is there something for which you know you were created and that you must pursue?

I think Nolan Ryan would say, “Go for it!” I think that accomplished violinist would say, “Go ahead and neglect the myriad of things that don’t propel you to your goal.” But most important of all is what God would say to you. And what do you think that would be?


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