...42...

April 15, 1947, Jackie Robinson made his major league baseball debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was the first black man to sign with a major league ball club, and he is credited with breaking the baseball color barrier. The 2013 movie, 42, tells the story of this tumultuous year.

I had borrowed the movie from our local library months ago, but the copy was so scratched it wouldn't play. I completely forgot to reorder it, so when I happened to see it on a shelf, I quickly scooped it up.

While I knew the gist of the story, I didn't know any details. As I watched, I was struck by his courage, his determination, and his hard work. I was impressed with his ability to bear under the weight of those pressures so successfully. But mostly, I was awed by his honorable and classy demeanor in the face of such overwhelming opposition.

Instead of retaliating, he rose above the ugliness and hate by proving himself on the field time and time again.

We will all face opposition in our lives, some a tremendous amount more than most. But for each of us, it is how we choose to respond to it that will determine how we will be remembered.

Today, baseball teams all around the nation will honor Jackie Robinson by wearing the retired number 42.

How will you be remembered?