A Last Horrah

“And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Avenge the children of Israel of the Midianites: afterward shalt thou be gathered unto thy people.” (Nu 31:1-2 AV)

What a blessing to be able to go out with a bang and not a whimper!  The LORD was not required to allow Moses one last hurrah.  He could have simply allowed him to pass in the same manner his generation passed.  Without that much of anything to do.  Simply exist and then die.  But not Moses!  He was granted one last battle.  He was asked to do one more task.  He went out on top!

I have resisted the urge to ever purchase a jersey of a famous athlete.  I was always disappointed when they signed with a new team.  But that changed two years ago.  My beloved Cubs finally won a World Series.  After a century, they finally made it all the way.  There were many stories of glory to share but my favorite is the story of David Ross.  Born is 1977, he played baseball for about 20 years.  Prior to the start of the 2016 season, Ross announced he was going to retire after the season.  Win, loose, or draw, he was done.  Some say he played one of the best years of baseball in his career.  That fall, the Cubs went to the world series.  On Ross’ third time up to bat, and what would be his last at bat as a professional, in game seven of the world series, he because the oldest player to hit a home run in a world series.  This player went out with a bang!  This hit would be the best of his entire career.  He went out the best possible way he could.  So, when my wife asked if I wanted a Cubs jersey for Christmas, I naturally choose Ross as the player to remember.  Not that I idolize the person.  Rather, the example he set at the last chance he got!  I wear it from time to time to remind me never to go out with a whimper!

Which brings us back to Moses.  Some people call it a mid-life crisis.  I prefer to call it an attempt to atone for wasted opportunity.  We look back at all those things we failed to do and wish the LORD to give us one last opportunity to do something for His sake.  Maybe there is a little ego involved.  The belief that we have to do something so that our lives mattered.  But maybe there is a little energy left to.  We don’t want to sit in a chair, rocking our lives away.  We want to do something, even if it won’t matter a whole lot.  At least we are doing something.