Here’s a feel-good sports story that illustrates an important lesson. Wynton Bernard, of the Colorado Rockies baseball team, made his major league debut on August 12, legging out an infield single, stealing a base, and scoring on a sacrifice fly. So what, Bob?

Bernard is 31 years old, he’s in his 10th season of professional baseball, he played 863 minor league games. This is his first chance in the major leagues. You can read the whole story here. Here’s how it starts:

Denver folks needed to cheer Bernard, who had given them a good cry before his debut. Late Thursday afternoon, Bernard shared his dream becoming reality via a video call with his mother, Janet Bernard, after being informed by Triple-A Albuquerque manager Warren Schaeffer that he was, indeed, getting the call to The Show. That emotional call was then shared with the world.

And the debut was magical. The scene of Bernard beating out a grounder to third was slightly awkward at first — due to first-base umpire Alex Tosi initially calling him out. But this is a feel-good story, remember, and after a replay review confirmed Bernard actually beat Josh Rojas’ throw to first, it sent both him and Rockies fans into euphoria. He’d later swipe second base for good measure.

According to STATS Inc., at 31 years and 322 days old, Bernard became the oldest player to get a hit and steal a base in his Major League debut since the Cardinals’ Joe Delahanty on September 30, 1907 (31 years, 347 days). – Thomas Harding, MLB.com.

You can see a video of his hit and the rest of the inning here, capturing the excitement of his teammates as well as the announcers. In his first 15 games, he’s batting just under .300, so he’s off to a good start. I hope he does well.

He persisted until he succeeded. There’s a lesson for us all.

I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3.14, ESV)

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. (1 Corinthians 9.24, ESV)