Getting a win with a pitch and a prayer

I am convinced prayer helped to get me through combat in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater during World War II. Someone once said if you concentrate too intensely on praying, you might lose your life by not concentrating on the enemy. In my case, I focused on praying when there was a lull in the action.
Recently on one of my photography trips into nearby New Wilmington, Pa., Amish country, I decided to pray very hard on my grandson Michael Krieger's winning his baseball game that day. He is a sophomore pitcher for Ohio Wesleyan University, a Division III Team in Delaware, Ohio. It was a Saturday afternoon and they were playing a double header against a good conference rival named Wabash. As I headed toward Amish country about 2 p.m. I decided to pray with fervor that Michael would pitch a no-hitter or shutout, since he was overdue. As I prayed, being mindful of my driving, I told the Almighty that if he accomplished either of these feats I would get on my knees to thank him.
Shutout
When I arrived home around 5 p.m. my wife, Margaret, said that our son-in-law Greg Krieger had just called. He had been at the game in Delaware. She looked at me with a frown, and I thought surely Michael had lost, instead she said he had pitched a shutout, winning 7 to 0. I kept my promise and knelt on the hard kitchen floor and thanked God for answering my prayers.
Now for the rest of the story. On my way home from Amish country, I had stopped at a convenience store in West Middlesex, Pa., to play the lottery. I saw an unusual sight. A tall elderly Amish farmer was standing up using the pay phone outside the store, not an uncommon sight. As I watched him, he got down on both knees on the concrete walkway, while still talking on the phone. Why he did this, I will never know. Maybe he was thanking the Lord for a gift, as I did.
My prayers have yet to be answered, though, on hitting the life-changing big lottery games, such as Power Ball, Mega Millions and Super Lotto.
X Michael J. LaCivita is a retiree living in Youngstown.