With One Foot Raised

For the first time in the 127-year history of the franchise, my beloved Phillies have finished with the best record in the major leagues. ESPN's "experts" seem to think that the Phils are the favorite to win the World Series. It's certainly an exciting time to be a Phillies' fan.

With that in view, I received a great reminder yesterday in the book With Calvin in the Theater of God. Sam Storms begins his chapter on Calvin's vision of the glory of heaven with a quote from Calvin written to a woman suffering from severe physical afflictions. He says that her (and our) afflictions are instruments through which we learn "to have one foot raised to take our departure when it shall please God."

In other words, we ought to live every day with one foot raised, ready and eager for the day when we will depart from this world and enter into the splendor of heavenly glory. Storms then closes the chapter with this exhortation:

Young man, young woman, go to school, study hard, prepare yourself for fifty or more years in a productive and exciting career. But do it with one foot raised!

Let all of us diligently labor at our place of business. Honor our employers by giving them a good day's labor for a day's wage. But always work with one foot raised!

By all means, get married. Enjoy the delight of romantic affections. Devote yourself to your spouse, yet do it with one foot raised!

Be quick to educate your children. Prepare them for life. Raise them in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, but always with one foot raised!

Study Greek and Hebrew and Latin! But study with one foot raised!

Celebrate life with your friends over a good steak and your beverage of choice. But eat and drink with one foot raised!

Weep at the grave site of a child. Mourn at the loss of a friend. But may it always be with one foot raised!

Read a book. Write a book. But read and write with one foot raised!

Cheer for your favorite football team (or this fan might say, baseball team) and celebrate wildly every victory. But do it with one foot raised!

Labor to enact legislation to improve life in your city, your state, your country, but always with one foot raised!

Plant a garden. Plant a church. Open a savings account. Purchase a thirty-year certificate of deposit. Invest in a stock. But do it all with one foot raised!

So I'm looking forward to the start of the MLB postseason, and appreciate Storms' encouragement to cheer for my favorite team. Hopefully there will be 11 wins to celebrate wildly...but I'll be doing it with one foot raised.