August 24, 2026 - Good Morning! It’s Monday, August 24.
On August 24, 1919, Ray Caldwell was on the mound for the Cleveland Indians. Caldwell seemed to be nearing the end of a once promising baseball career. In better days he starred for the Boston Red Sox, playing alongside a young phenom named Babe Ruth. But time, and alcohol, had dimmed his once bright light. The Red Sox waived him and he was hoping to restart his career in Cleveland. This was his first game with the new club.
Caldwell was pitching well that summer day, carrying a 2-1 lead into the ninth inning. He got the first two batters to pop out, when suddenly a storm blew in off of Lake Erie. As a light rain began to fall, the umpires still hoped to get in a complete game. And then something happened that Cleveland players, and baseball historians, still talk about to this day, 107 years later. Suddenly the ballpark was struck by a bolt of lightning. Each of the fielders later reported feeling tingling in their arms and legs, but they remained standing. And then their eyes moved to the pitchers mound. There was Ray Caldwell, lying spread-eagled . . . smoke rising off of his chest. The catcher ran to him, reached down, and received an electric shock. The entire team and the whole crowd looked on in horror.
And then Ray Caldwell sat up.
If the story had ended there, it would be memorable enough. But after being struck by lightning, and before being taken to the hospital, Ray Caldwell asked for the baseball and proceeded to pitch the final out for a complete game win. Later he said, “It felt like somebody came up behind me with a two-by-four and hit me over the head with it”. Caldwell got knocked down, but he got back up. His remarkable story reminded me of countless Bible stories. His character reminded me of characters like Job and Jonah and Elijah and Moses and David and Peter. People of the Word who failed and were then restored, who were ended and then began again, who got knocked down and then got back up. The Apostle Paul belongs on that list, and these are his words to us this morning.
We have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that this surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed. 2 Corinthians 4:7-9
Meet you back here tomorrow,
David
cindertex50@yahoo.com
