Text: Psalm 145:1-21
“The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.” —Psalm 145:9
At just 6-years old and without a pair of shoes to her name, Mary Dobkin was found nearly dead from frostbite and exposure on the streets of Baltimore. This abandoned Russian immigrant child couldn’t speak English and became a ward of the city. She spent much of her remaining childhood in hospitals, enduring a long series of operations, including the amputation of both feet and part of one leg. After leaving the hospital as a young adult she said,
“If God was good enough to let me live… I would work for children for the rest of my life.”
Dobkin learned English from a radio in her hospital room, which was also close to the Baltimore Orioles stadium. Hearing the excitement of the crowds at the ballpark sparked her interest in baseball. She fell passionately in love with the game, learning to catch and hit in therapy camp from her wheelchair, and later started a baseball program in her public housing neighborhood for inner city and at-risk children. She coached the game, raised funds for equipment and uniforms, and was the first coach to integrate a team racially and the first to play a girl on a team. “Aunt Mary,” as she affectionately became called by the kids, also threw an annual Christmas party for disadvantaged children in her neighborhood.
In time, the Mary Dobkin Athletic Club reached over 50,000 Baltimore children, with some of her players going on to play in the majors. However, the kids Mary chose to talk about most were wearing a different kind of uniform. “We’ve had kids on my teams become doctors and lawyers and 35 police. Imagine 35 police. You should have seen what cop-haters a lot of them were… But my greatest joy is the boys who are now grown up and bringing their own kids to practice. Some of them are my best coaches.”
In 1979, Aunt Mary threw out the first pitch in Game 6 of the World Series, and two of her players were honorary bat boys for the game. The same year, a television movie was released about her life, influence, and legacy.
In response to His goodness, Mary Dobkin made good on her promise to God in that hospital room in Baltimore. In Psalm 145, an ancient king in Israel took time to reflect on the goodness of God and its worthy response from our lives. The psalmist said, “Every day I will bless you… The Lord is good to all, and His mercy is over all that He has made.” We are encouraged to praise God for His greatness, His graciousness, and His faithfulness, and to “pour forth the fame” of His abundant goodness. In the words of an old hymn, we are urged, “Count your blessings, name them one by one.”
The psalmist appears to see himself as a “debtor” to the goodness of God, declaring, “One generation shall commend your works to another… They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness… to make known to the children of man your mighty deeds.” In what ways has the goodness of God left you a debtor to the Creator and His creation? Think about that as you seek to abide in Him this week.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, your goodness has been running after me all my life. It is an appropriate response for me to count my many blessings, to praise you daily, and to commend your works to others. Help me to reflect on where you have lifted me, so that by your Spirit I can help lift others. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Questions for Reflection and/or Group Discussion
- How do you feel when you tell someone about what God has done for you?
- What should motivate God’s people to praise the Lord? (Psalm 145:1-21)
- What responsibility do God’s people have to tell others of God’s goodness? (vv. 4-12)
- How has the Lord demonstrated His goodness toward you?
- What responsibility do we have to tell others about what God has done for us?
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