30 Days of Catch: Day 12 with David Ayers

by | Aug 12, 2023 | 30 Days of Catch to Strikeout Hunger, Pastor's Blog

The weather is trying hard to delay my 30 days of catch. Luckily the storms passed this morning just in time for a morning game of catch with church member David Ayers at a nearby ballpark. I had my two boys with me, so the balls were often whizzing by. 

It has been great working with David since I arrived at the church last summer. I say “working with” because while David is at the church as much as staff, he is one of our dedicated lay volunteers. With a background in finance and banking, he has knowledge and gifts to share with our church. That’s one of the best things about being a church community: we all have different gifts and abilities to share. I suppose that’s true for baseball too. 

David grew up east of Indianapolis in Union City where he attended the local United Methodist church and played baseball growing up. He later went to Indiana University in Bloomington. He not only cheers for the Hoosiers but also his beloved Reds. Growing up close to Ohio, the closest team would have been the Cincinnati Reds. He has many fond memories of the old Crosley Field in Cincinnati where you could easily interact with players and get autographs. Since I knew David would wear his Reds gear, I proudly displayed my blue Cubs hat, which is the same hat I had as a kid. 

While David played baseball and later softball, he is now a golfer. He enjoys a good game of golf. I played some in high school on the JV golf team. Even as a Senior, I still played on the JV golf team, but it was free golf at some really nice courses. I’m not sure I would have the skill to keep up with David in golf, but I could try. Maybe I’ll stick with games of catch! David is a proud grandfather as he often shares proudly about his grandkid’s sports and activities, which I always enjoy learning about. I appreciate his kindness and faithfulness to his family, friends, and church. 

We enjoyed our game of catch as the dark clouds blew east. We all agreed, Zeke, Luke, David, and I, that a game of catch is a great way to begin the day! 

A quick update on the financial fundraiser for Gleaners. As of this afternoon, we are over $15,000. My goal is $15,420. We’re almost there! In fact, maybe we should increase the goal to $20,000. Is that too much? Why not? Let’s keep it going! 

If you feel moved to share a financial donation for my Gleaners fundraiser, use the link below. 

https://give.gleaners.org/fundraiser/4739257

Get outside. Play catch. Find something that brings joy and a smile to your face. 

Thank you for supporting Gleaners and following my 30 days of catch!