Bad Call and No Second Chance!

I can’t imagine how victimized Armando Galarraga felt.  I don’t think anyone can imagine how he felt.  But then again I can’t imagine how umpire Jim Joyce felt either.  I don’t think anyone can imagine how he felt.  The Detroit Tigers was playing the Cleveland Indians.  It was the ninth inning and Galarraga was facing his 27th batter – Jason Donald.   Donald hit a grounder just wide of first base and Miguel Cabrera fielded the ball to Galarraga at first base.   The catch was made and Donald was at least a step and a half off the bag.   Umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe when it was obvious to everyone in attendance he was out.  This was a call and a moment in history that would not be reversed.  No way.  It ain’t gonna happen.   The call stands.  Baseball commissioner Bud Selig won’t reverse the call.  It is what it is.  A perfect game was stolen not only from history but from the hands of the pitcher who would have been the 21st pitcher in history to accomplish the “perfect” game and the first Detroit Tiger to do the same.   The perfect game will be remembered but not how either Galarraga or Joyce would want it remembered.  It will be recorded in MLB history but not the way we would want it be recorded.  Dirty rotten shame but hey, mistakes happen.   This proves that games like this are dependent humans and all humans hold the capacity for error.   The problem with human error is that not all mistakes will get  a second chance or an opportunity to correct mistakes.  I’m glad grace is on our side because it’s obvious that grace doesn’t belong to the MLB. 

History has recorded multiple accounts of human error.   Yeah you know all about it don’t you?  Ninth inning, you’re on calling the “game” and you blow it.  You make a huge mistake.   You call a shot that is a major error.  You missed it.  You just made the worst decision, the worst choice you could have ever made.   You need a second chance.  You need a break.  You need forgiveness.   You need this mistake erased from the records.  You don’t want it remembered at all much less remembered as a mistake.  Only God can forgive and erase the sin of our past.  Only He can erase the “bad” calls we can make from time to time. 

Jonah.  Simon Peter.  Moses.  Tim Teague.  You and countless others could be listed here.  We could list qualifiers for a second chance forever.   But there is one striking difference in us and Jim Joyce.  He wasn’t given a second chance to change a bad call, a bad choice.   We have been given a second chance by grace.  Romans 5.20 declares that where sin…bad calls in life, mistakes and errors are made grace is found in an abundant supply.   Grace is given for mistakes.  Undeserved grace.  Unmerited favor.  Given by God Himself to you and I.   Mistakes, bad calls…we all make them.  Again, the difference in you and I is that our human error can be forgiven.   This is the most awesome facts of history. 

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  1 John 1:9      

Confession for you and I for sin is much different from Jim Joyce’s.  Jim confessed his error but he wasn’t granted a second chance.  He will live with his error the rest of his life…and so will those his mistake made.   Ours can be forgiven.  It starts with confession.   It also ends with confession.   Thanks for grace.