KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL, THE PRIZE...WHATEVER YOUR THING IS

At this point, I’m going to take a break from the woods and water and move to the baseball diamond. This time of year my wife and I get to spend a lot of time at the baseball field; baseball is an outdoor activity, so of course that’s a win for me.

 

Both of our sons are avid baseball players. They have tried other sports over the years, but baseball has always been their main focus. I coached our oldest son on and off up through sixth grade and coached our youngest exclusively from t-ball through 7^th grade. Their success and talents were earned on their own. When the boys got old enough to try-out for higher competitive teams, my wife and I told them, “you will make this team on your own merit; we will not pull any strings or do favors to get you on the team.” However, whichever team they made, we would volunteer when we could.

 

Over the years they’ve experienced success and failure; they’ve had really good coaches and really bad coaches. They’ve experienced firsthand the politics of youth sports, but never let any of those affect their passion for the game. Currently, the oldest (19) is on an amateur team and hasn’t won a single game this season. He’s not happy about it, but he still goes to every game and plays his best, and he does it without any hesitation. The youngest (15) is on a VFW sponsored summer league. His team is having a successful season, but he’s not connecting well with the coach. He also goes to every game without hesitation and plays his best. They both do a very good job of staying focused on the big picture and don’t let the negative elements distract them. Yeah, you could say I’m a proud father.

 

What would life be like if we focused on our main objective, the big picture, and not let the negative elements distract us? What would one’s faith be like if we did the same for that as well?

 

Matthew 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.