Praise ye the LORD. Praise the LORD, O my soul. While I live will I praise the LORD: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help. His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
Psalm 146:1-4
In 2025, Ichiro Suzuki was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame, and the Seattle Mariners honored him by retiring his number and erecting a statue at their ballpark. For the statue they turned to Chicago-based sculptor Lou Cella who had previously created works to honor Ken Griffey, Jr. and Edgar Martinez for the team. But when the official unveiling ceremony was held on April 10, 2026, something went badly wrong. Ichiro watched as his former teammates pulled away the curtain that had covered the piece, but the curtain caught on the bat Ichiro was holding in the statue, and broke it. Pictures of the dangling bat were featured in news stories across the country. The sculptor had to quickly work to fix the problem and restore the statue as it was intended.
There are many times in life when people we count on, even those who have been there for us in the past, let us down. Perhaps a change in their circumstances meant they were no longer present to be able to help. Perhaps a change in the relationship meant they were no longer willing to help. Everyone who has been through that knows what a painful experience it is. But that never happens when we rely on God. He is always faithful to keep His promises and always able to meet our needs. He should always be the first one we turn to for help in times of need because He never fails. “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes” (Psalm 118:8-9).
