Dear God, help me be a good sport in this game of life. I don’t ask for an easy place in the line-up. Put me anywhere you need me. I only ask that I can give you one hundred percent of all I have.

If the hard drives seem to come my way, I thank you for the compliment. Help me remember that you never send a player more trouble than he can handle.

Help me, O Lord, to accept the bad breaks as part of the game. And may I always play the game on the square, no matter what the others do. Help me study The Book so I’ll know the rules.

Finally, God, if the natural turn of events goes against me and I’m benched for sickness or old age, please help me accept that as part of the game, too. Keep me from whimpering or squealing that I was framed or that I got a raw deal.

And when I finish the final inning, I ask for no laurels. All I want is to believe in my heart that I played as well as I could and that I didn’t let you down.