So Close but so Far

Happy Monday to our CFC Family;

I'm sure many of you were glued to the television on Saturday night, watching the World Series clash between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Los Angeles Dodgers. It was definitely an intense night for Toronto, as the Blue Jays were chasing a title they hadn’t won since the unforgettable seasons of 1992 and 1993 — years that brought joy to a whole nation and remain a cherished part of Canadian baseball history.

In 1992, Lenise and I were newly married and serving in a small church in New Brunswick, where I was the youth pastor. We were as poor as church mice, and the television we had only partly worked. With the bottom half of the screen flipping the picture upside-down, it offered a truly unique form of entertainment.😉

Even though we could only see “half the game,” I remember the thrill when the Jays became World Series champions for the very first time in their history.  The following year, they repeated the feat, defeating the Philadelphia Phillies, highlighted by Joe Carter’s legendary three-run homer. Those victories remain unforgettable moments in Canadian history, and many of us hoped for a similar triumph Saturday night.

The game itself was a heart-stopper, tied 4‑4 in the bottom of the 9th inning, with fans across the country holding their breath. Isiah Kiner-Falefa rounded third and sprinted for home, giving everything he had, pouring every ounce of effort into that final dash. Yet when the dust settled, the replay showed he had missed touching home plate by mere inches.

So close… yet so far!

That moment reminds me how often in life we approach a breakthrough, a victory, or a moment of obedience, only to fall short because we don’t stretch a little further or give that final effort. Success is not always measured in miles or feet — sometimes it comes down to mere inches. That’s why God calls us to give our all in every area of life; we never know when one extra stretch can make all the difference.

The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24:

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.”

And Hebrews 12:1 reminds us:

“Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.”

Sometimes it’s the last push, the final prayer, the extra moment of courage that turns our “almost” into our “accomplishments,” and our “inches” into victory.

The Jays’ loss may sting, but it serves as a vivid reminder that how we finish matters.  That “Touching home plate” really does matter and that God has called each of us to run our race — not half-heartedly, not almost, but to actually finish strong, going all the way in faith, love, and obedience.

No one who succeeds in life ever looks back wishing they hadn’t gone the extra mile — or even that extra inch. Those who triumph celebrate the effort, rejoicing that they gave their all, knowing that in the end, it was that extra stretch that made all the difference.

And thankfully, we have the ultimate example to follow….Jesus himself, who went the extra mile for us, enduring the cross and completing the goal of our salvation, giving everything so that we might live.

As we begin this new week, let’s commit ourselves to giving that little bit more for the Lord, knowing that sometimes, victory is just inches away.

Question:   What is one area of your life where you feel God is calling you to give just a little more — that extra inch or mile — so that you can experience the victory He has for you?

Have a blessed week and we’ll see you Sunday!

Pastor Dan