• We want so deeply to control our life and death. Remember Henley's Invictus?, "I am the captain of my soul".  And yet, just this week, I have been exposed to people, who against our deeper hopes died, and in one particular case in spite of the Herculean efforts to revive him. (Strike 1)
• We suppose we have power over others and it shows itself from the highest levels of business to the lowest sectors of our society. Even Pilate, that hapless Roman govenor, thought he could wield his authority over Jesus, waving before him life and death. Jesus scolded him by saying, "you would have no authority, had not my Father allotted it to you." (John 19:10) (Strike 2)
• We tell ourselves we have the power over our circumstances, but in case you missed it, those tornados in Kansas and Oklahoma, have left people homeless, possession less, and too often lifeless. And it only took mere seconds. My house may sink into the ground, my body may fail me tomorrow, and the mate that I thought would share my autumn years passes into eternity before I was ever ready.               ( Strike 3)

What we do have is opportunity and influence. God has called us to himself and in Jesus we have an opportunity to tell the world His story, to live his selfless example, and to use the one commodity we can freely wield-- our influence to make a relationship with the Risen Savior an attractive and logical choice. "Come now, and let us reason together..." Isaiah 1:18

The "real game" is before us... Let's not "Strike-out"