And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead. The stone sank into his forehead, and he fell on his face to the ground.
1 Samuel 17:49
Reflect
There are times in life that we come up against situations that seem larger than life, and we wonder if we can prevail against such incredible odds. These are our “David and Goliath” moments, and they might not happen often, but they do happen.
Such was the case for a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico. In 1957, they crossed the border on a three-day visa to enter a Little League tournament in McAllen, Texas. They weren’t yet even dreaming of reaching the Little League World Series in Williamsport, but that’s where they ended up. They won the tournament in McAllen, then the Texas state championship and the Southern Regional Championship in Louisville. That earned them a spot in Williamsport.
The challenges these boys faced just getting to the Little League World Series were monumental. Their visas expired after those first three days, and the U.S. ambassador to Mexico had to intervene to extend their stay. They didn’t have much money, so often they ate only two meals a day. Strangers frequently came to their aid to ensure they had food to eat and places to stay. And that doesn’t even take into account the discrimination they faced as brown-skinned people traveling through the United States in the 1950s.
But that didn’t stop them from playing and winning. The team from Monterrey won 10 straight games going into Williamsport, and that’s where they truly had their David and Goliath moment. The other teams were much bigger and heavier, and it looked on the surface that the Mexican boys were outmatched. The traditional South champion uniforms they were provided didn’t even fit, so they had to keep wearing their Monterrey uniforms.
They won their first game against Bridgeport, Conn., 2-1 and had to face the West champion from La Mesa, Calif. This team was huge compared to Monterrey. La Mesa’s boys averaged 5 feet 4 inches and 127 pounds, while Monterrey averaged 4 feet 11 inches and 92 pounds. Monterrey’s pitcher, Angel Macias, stood and weighed around the team average, and he looked tiny on the mound as he pitched to the big boys from California. Instead of a stone and a sling, he held a baseball, and he threw better that day than anyone had ever thrown in a Little League World Series — or than anyone who has thrown there since that day. By the end of the game, Angel had thrown a perfect game, not allowing even one La Mesa batter to reach first base. Monterrey won 4-0 and became the first team from outside the United States to win the Little League World Series. (And they repeated as champions the next year.)
It’s a fair bet that if you haven’t come up against any Goliaths in your life, you will one day. How will you react when that happens? Many people look at the situation, throw their hands up and say, “This is too big for me.” In a way, they’re right. It is too big for them to handle alone. Goliath was too big for David to handle by himself. But with the power of God within him and beside him, David became bigger than the Giant, and he prevailed. And you can, too.
When life sends you a Goliath (or a team of Goliaths from La Mesa), don’t despair. Trust. Know that God has your back and has not brought you this far just to watch you get embarrassed and obliterated. Pray to the Lord for strength and guidance, and pick up your rock and sling (in whatever form that takes in your life). It probably won’t be easy and there will probably be some pain and sacrifice involved. But know that the odds are in your favor because, while you might look smaller, you’re so much bigger because you’re standing on the shoulders of the Almighty.
Reflection copyright © 2021 Doug DeBolt.
