This past spring, Nicholas had a discouraging baseball season. As a result of being one of the smaller and younger kids on the team, and because he struggled with hitting, he was not given much attention by the coaches, even though he played well in every other area. They had their “big” guys, the power hitters who were older and more experienced. While they were playing all six innings, my son was often on the bench, playing only two.
The fact that winning was more important than the players was obvious early on, and my anger was fueled by each successive game that was coached with this attitude, primarily because it directly affected my son.
In the meantime, however, my favorite, albeit discouraged, player was making the most of his time by building relationships with his fellow “benchers” and finding out where they stood with the Lord. With those who were not Christians, he shared the gospel, encouraging them to believe in Jesus, standing firm on the fact that Jesus is the only way to Heaven. The responses were mixed. Some laughed at his belief, but others asked questions and wanted to know more.
Throughout the season, Nicholas continued to share and to live out his faith, encouraging all of the players on the team in their own times of struggles and rejoicing with them in their successes. He was living out what he wholeheartedly believes and being a Christ-like witness to his teammates.
In the eyes of most people, the team with the most runs in baseball is the winner. Whoever defeats the most teams in the tournament is the champion. This makes sense. This is what I have believed most of my life. However, it became abundantly clear to me this year that the scoreboard does not reveal the true winner.
The attitude of a coach, a team, or even the fans (a.k.a. parents) reveals the true winner. For a coach, it is someone who cares more about the kids playing than the number of runs at the end of an inning. For a player, it’s the one who can sincerely cheer on his teammates no matter how well or how often he gets to play. For a parent, it’s seeing God’s perspective of the situation and trusting Him, even if it means your son is on the bench more than he is on the field.
Certainly, there are more descriptions of a true winner, but these are just a few I noticed this season. I can take no credit for being a winning parent. I complained most of the season because my son was “unfairly” on the bench and not given a chance to improve and excel. It took me much longer than it should have to put on my winning attitude and see how God was working.
But Nicholas seemed to exhibit it earlier in the season, even without understanding it. It was just a part of his life. If he wasn’t playing, he was building relationships. And he cared about his teammates enough to be concerned about their eternal security. Despite his team losing in the final game of the tournament, I can unhesitatingly say that I am the mom of a true champion!
When the boys begin fall baseball in a few weeks, I will remember this lesson learned. Without a doubt, I want my children to have coaches who love, teach, and encourage them. I want them to learn more about baseball, grow stronger, and improve their skills. I want them to play their positions with enthusiasm and have fun. But more than all of that, I want what God wants for them. His game plan will always be better than mine, and His team will always be the winning team!
“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:14
No comments:
Post a Comment