The St. Louis Cardinals baseball team was piling on. They were jumping all over each other, tearing the shirt off the guy who just won the game with a home run, and generally carrying on like they had just won the 2011 World Series. If you had just come on the scene in time for the celebration, that’s what you would have thought, when, in fact, they had just won game 6 to tie the series. It was the way they won it that sparked the celebration. They were behind most of the game but able to keep clawing back, and in the 9th and the 10th innings, after giving up two runs to the Texas Rangers in the top of each inning, they were twice one strike away from being eliminated from the contest, and both times the batter delivered a clutch hit that scored two tying runs to keep the game going, until they finally won it on a home run in the bottom of the 11th. Twice it was: “Strike three; Texas celebrates,” and instead it was: “Big hit; game tied.”
I like this celebration. It was for sure fueled by a huge release of tension, being twice on the brink of elimination and hanging on, but it was also fueled by the sudden realization: “Hey, we’ve got one more game! We can beat these guys tomorrow!”
I think we need more Game six celebrations. We need to celebrate the fact that however hard it’s been, we’re still in the game. We’ve got one more day. Don’t celebrate the win; celebrate the continuation. Celebrate being alive. Celebrate another chance. Celebrate the fact that the overall score is even: three games a piece. We have just as much a chance to win this thing as the other guy. In fact, in life, because of Jesus Christ, the win is coming – it’s guaranteed – so let’s celebrate the fact that we’re still in it.
Live like today is game seven. They haven’t gotten rid of you after all! You still have today!
(I know it might be a little hard for Texas Ranger fans to get into this celebration, but imagine yourself with one more shot at game seven. Even Steven. Besides, there’s always next year, that’s if you can get by the Angels.)
John Fischer The Catch 
YES!
I’m a Texas expat (four generations), but not a baseball guy at all. However, Eddie and Fran Chiles, former owners of the Rangers, went to my very small home church in Fort Worth, and we got to watch a game once from the owner’s sky box in the old Arlington stadium. I also took my kids to a few games in the new stadium before we left Texas. So we root for the Rangers.
At 60, coming off back surgery this month of uncertain success, contemplating a big and uncertain transition in our ministry of 18 years, and trying to help children through the uncertainties of finding steady employment, I think I have been feeling the last couple of weeks like it’s the end of game seven. But now I know it’s not. It’s just the end of game six, and we’re starting game seven. We’re still here, God has more for us to do, and we’re going to keep playing. Go Rangers!
I know so many who are facing challenges so much greater than our own, so I don’t mean to sound like a whiner, but I think a game seven attitude is for everyone. That one will preach. Your post was an encouragement to me today. Thanks, John.