Mom Blogs: Life Lessons
God teaches me so much through my kids. Life is all about changes. It’s not meant to stay the same all the time. Through change, we learn lessons about humility, love, friendship and gain confidence to conquer the world. I’ve been learning these lessons lately. Maybe not the conquer the world part, but the humble confidence part for sure.
I’ve always loved watching my boys play sports. They have some God given abilities to play ball. And I have always taken pride in those abilities, probably to a fault, thinking they were better than maybe they really were. This year was no different. Except I saw it all for what it really was and that put it into perspective for me.
Zac has always played sports with the same group of boys. Kids we know and love and always will. But this spring, we decided to let him branch out in baseball. He wanted to play more than the other kids did, so he went out for a competitive team that plays a lot of baseball. I mean, A LOT of baseball. And this team played UP, meaning they were a bunch of 12 year olds playing in a 13 year old league. And if you don’t think there is a sizable difference between a 12 and a 13 year old, I am here to tell you, WHOA, nelly, BIG DIFFERENCE! Huge!
So here we are, in a growing, stretching year. It’s been very humbling watching him play. He knows he is smaller and not as strong as some of the other kids. He knows his abilities are still in the making. And that knowledge has lowered his confidence in himself. He has the skill and the know how, but some how it gets all mixed up when he steps onto the field to play against kids twice his size. Sports is 90% mental and 10% physical for most people.
Lately I have watched my once confident player become nervous and complacent to sit the bench. Until last night. He stepped up to the mound and I saw that familiar look in his eye. The old Zac was back. He played with a confidence I have not seen in a while. It was beautiful. It did so much for his mother’s heart.
Here’s what I know…he can serve his team while sitting the bench and he can throw strike out after strike out when called upon to do so. He can be the bat boy and hit a triple when it is time. God called him to this team. We have no idea why but we are beginning to see purpose in it.
When I watched Zac sit the bench in his second game, my heart sank. But when I witnessed him as the self appointed bat boy, serving his team as they played, I saw God’s purpose.
You can win all your games and beat out all the competition but if you have not love, you are just as much a loser as the team you beat.
Written by Dawn Funderburk (friend)
