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Tag: baseball

Rain Check

Rain Check

Rain Check--cat under umbrella at a ballpark

A friend recently offered to bring us a meal, an offer I never refuse! However, we had already cooked. Selfish me, I wanted my friend’s food too. What to do? I asked for a rain check.

A rain check means the promise of an offer later.

The person who made an original offer may extend it. Or the receiving person may request it.

A rain check may be formal or informal.

Formal written guarantees include:

  • Tickets or passes to postponed concerts or other special events
  • Store coupons for sold out sale items

Informal promises include:

  • Dinner invitations or other visits
  • Joint travel

This expression originated with rained out baseball games.

According to The Free Dictionary, the practice became common in the 1880s. If severe weather cancelled or ended a game early, tickets were issued for a future event. By the 1900s, the expression also applied to other events.

Rain or shine, always extend kindness.

Much that we do for one another does not depend on weather. Wherever we are and whatever we do, we can offer:

  • Love
  • Forgiveness
  • Encouragement

“My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love” (Colossians 2:2 NIV).

Thanks to Carole Fite for the suggestion. Photo courtesy of Pixabay.

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Off Base

Off Base

Off Base, little boy T-ball player with one foot on a baseRyder knows not to move his foot off base. If he does, a baseball player on the other team can tag him out.

In baseball, we never want to get off base.

We also:

  • Need to run fast from one base to the next.
  • Must touch all the bases to score a run.
  • Fail to score a run if we get tagged by the baseball between bases.

In life, we don’t want to get caught off base either.

If we are off base, we are wrong. If someone says we are way off base, they mean we are really wrong. We have made a big mistake.

For example, I am off base if I:

  • Believe I will never suffer when I make bad choices
  • Want good pay for poor work
  • Expect people to like me when I treat them badly

The bad news:

We all get off base from time to time.

The good news:

We can get back in the game and try again.

How do we get back on base?

I have been off base playing ball. I have been off base in life. I have learned hard but good lessons from both.

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord” (Acts 3:19 NIV).

Do you have a favorite expression or one you want explained? If so, please comment below.

Subscribe to receive my weekly posts by email and receive a free copy of “Words of Hope for Days that Hurt.”

If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your friends.

Thanks to Karen Atwood for the photo.