I got the chance to go to an Atlanta Braves game a couple weeks ago with some good friends who I work with here at the World Race and something happened there that was a fun story and actually gave me something neat to think about.
We were sitting in the left field stands enjoying the sun, though the game was not really the most exciting game ever or anything. It was about the 7th inning when a rather loud gentleman who had been enjoying his alcoholic beverages that day seated just behind us stood up and boisterously announced “HEY! We’re gonna do the wave!”
Several people, including ourselves turned to listen, and he waved his arms gesturing to the section of seats to our right and said “we’re gonna go this way. Ready!?” Down he counted and then stood up throwing his arms in the air in an attempt to begin. About 15 people actually jumped up, most of them being the 12 of us in our group who were there, but the “wave” was little more than a ripple that hit a wall at the section next to us. “Aww cummon! you people &*@#!” the man shouted. I doubt he was a believer from his language;-) However, he didn’t seem to be discouraged. “Cummon we’re gonna do this! Lets go!”
Four or five more times he tried this and a few more people would join but it would never make it past the section to our right and keep going. “Ok well let’s go this way!” He bellowed gesturing to our left. He shouted in their direction “Hey!… HEY! We’re gonna do the wave! Get ready!” We counted it down with him and up we went. It seemed to do a lot better that time. It got a lot more attention and it spurred him on even more. We tried it a few times and each time it seemed to make it a little farther and as it did the people around in sections far from us started to notice that something was going on. We had their attention. “Ok cummom. We’re gonna do it Get ready!” Once more we counted it down and this time most of our section was yelling it with us. We launched into it and off it went.
One, two, three sections it went and everyone seemed to finally notice it. It gained attention and people started to get involved. By the time it was four sections away pretty much everyone was getting the idea. On it went. As it reached the first baseline sections it was a full blown wave of people. Everyone was jumping up and sitting down. Even the upper deck on the other side of the stadium was fully involved. We probably cheered the loudest for that than anything else in the game that day. It made it all the way around to us again and on it went. It went completely around the Brave’s stadium three full times.
One of my friends said “See? One drunk man CAN make a difference.” Ok so I know that this is kinda cliche but it is truth. One of the challenges that one can face when witnessing the vastness of the needs in the world especially the need for the gospel, it can overwhelm you to the point of asking “what kind of a difference could I even make?” Here is the answer. All you have to do is tell those that God puts around you and help in the ways that you are able from where you are, and you don’t even have to be drunk. It starts to gain a momentum that can become a wave. But it won’t happen with out the persistence to continue even when it seems to be dieing out right beside you.
That man in the stadium didn’t tell everyone there what to do, just the people he could reach. From there it grew into a wave over thousands of people. That is what we can do! That is what I am determined to do with the good news of freedom in Christ. I may not be able to go sit every person down and lay it out for them but I can sit here at my desk and connect hundreds of missionaries around the world to do so. God has given me a role that I can play and the significance is only as limited as I allow it to be. I want to do my part, will you do it with me?
Image from google images.
