Being on the Right Side
Our son Josh was 5 years old, and let me tell you, he was one of the biggest Atlanta Braves fans I’ve ever seen.
It was the fall of 1996, and the Braves were playing the New York Yankees in the World Series. I’m sure that to Josh, they weren’t just the other team—they were the enemy. Josh had been counting down the days, eagerly anticipating every game. By Game 6, the Braves were trailing in the series, 3–2. It was do-or-die for them—one more loss and their championship hopes would be over.
As the game wore on, the tension built. The Braves were down, and it all came down to a final at-bat—two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The pressure fell on Mark Lemke, their second baseman—Josh’s guy. All eyes were on him. And then… he popped out. Game over. The Braves lost the World Series.
And what was Josh’s reaction? Everyone in the room has their eyes on little Josh. It looked like he was about to cry. Then suddenly, he jumps up from the couch, throws both hands in the air, and shouts, “Yes! I love the Yankees! I love the Yankees!”
It was one of the funniest, most unexpected moments we’ve ever had—and we still laugh about it to this day. Josh wanted to ensure he was on the winning side—on the right side of history, even if it meant switching teams at the last moment.
That moment, though lighthearted, holds a deeper meaning when you consider life. We all go through highs and lows, victories and defeats. But there’s one ultimate question we each have to face:
In the end, are we on the right side? Are we on the right side of the story—the one that gives meaning to all of life? The one that determines our eternal destiny?
Our lives are part of something far greater. And when we share that story—the one that brings true hope and true joy—we’re helping others find their place on the right side of that story too.
So let’s live it RIGHT NOW. Let’s share it. And let’s do it with the joy and passion that comes from knowing we’re walking in the truth.
There are a lot of things you can afford to be wrong about—times you can be on the wrong side—but this isn’t one of them.
A humorous childhood baseball story sparks a deeper reflection on life’s ultimate question: Are we on the right side of the story that truly matters?