My Devotional - "The Greatest" - a song by Kenny Rogers

The Daily Devotional

Me Doing the Devotional

We begin each days session on the floor with a devotional. It's just a couple minutes where some speaker gives us a payer or a thought to get us started. Sometimes the person delivering the devotional can't make it and we just have a moment of silence. I had told the clerk's office that if they ever needed someone to give a quick devotional, I had a poem in reserve that I could read. The clerk told me that this Tuesday was my chance. So I read (I did not sing) the lyrics of "The Greatest", a song by Kenny Rogers. The chamber that day was crowded with Vermonters in blaze orange, there to listen to the debate on gun control. I didn't realize it but this week is also the start of  baseball. It was a good, light, sports oriented devotional and went over well. Here are the lyrics:

The Greatest

From Kenney Rogers, words by Don Schultz or was it Dirk Heinz Berger

Little boy in a baseball hat stands in the field with his ball and bat

Says, "I am the greatest player of them all"

Puts his bat in his shoulder and he tosses up his ball.

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down,

Swings his bat all the way around

The world so still you can hear the sound, the baseball falls . . . to the ground.

Now the little boy doesn't say a word, picks up his ball he is undeterred.

Says, "I am the greatest that there has ever been"

And he grits his teeth and he tries again.

And the ball goes up and the ball comes down,

Swings his bat all the way around

The world so still you can hear the sound, the baseball falls  . . .  to the ground.

He makes no excuses he shows no fear

He just closes his eyes and listens to the cheers.

Little boy, he adjusts his hat, picks up his ball, stares at his bat

Says "I am the greatest when the game is on the line"

And he gives his all one last time.

And the ball goes up like the moon so bright

He swings his bat with all his might

The world's as still as still can be, the baseball falls

And that's strike three.

Now it's suppertime .  .  . and his momma calls,

Little boy starts home with his bat and ball.

Says, "I am the greatest, that is a fact,

But even I didn't know I could pitch like that!"

Says, "I am the greatest, that is understood,

But even I didn't know I could pitch that good!"