Swing, batter batter. Swing.

I came home from the ball game and grabbed a fuzzy blanket as I plopped on the couch.  It was one of those games that fans wore winter coats, and clapping was muzzled by gloves and hot drinks in our hands!

But the tears came flooding after I had thawed out. My son hadn’t had a great day at the plate.  The pitcher was great, and my son was eager to hit.  Coach had said some things that weren’t what I consider to be productive, so my kid was feeling the pressure to perform.  He had been hitting well, but it wasn’t enough for the coach.

So why did I care so much?  My boy has chronic migraine.  He lives every day with incredible pain, and he perseveres.  I was overwhelmed with just wanting him to have something feel good.  Something that would remove the focus from his brokenness and make him feel whole for a bit.  I was just sad for him.

The tears were quickly wiped away as I heard the door open.  I knew better than to talk about the game, so I asked about his Jimmy John’s sandwich.  “Yeah, it was fine.  Please stay out of your room for a while.” He wanted to soak in a hot bath.  Alone.  Like the mom of three teens doesn’t get that!

When he was nice and pink, he came out to chat.  He told us how he stayed after the game to hit in the cages.  He wanted to practice. He wasn’t satisfied with the day, even though it was cold.  Coach went over to him in the cages and stayed with him.  He didn’t have to; after all, his son was having a birthday party right then after the game, and it was cold!  But he stayed with my boy and worked beside him. His swing had been fine, he just needed to relax at the plate. But he still worked and worked, drilling the mechanics of being a hitter.

Two nights earlier we had been at church.  This was right after coach had harsh words that weren’t appropriate.  My son entered the sanctuary and opened the Bible, looking for what he needed. James 1:4.  “Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” Tonight he went to the cages and practiced.  Why do you need to hear this?

You need to hear this because I need to hear this. God uses everything for his glory.  He doesn’t let anything enter our lives that he can’t use to shape us into the person he wants us to be. He drives us to him and his word. He nudges us to practice our spiritual swing because we don’t what pitch is coming.  He never leaves us, like coach stayed with my boy.  We don’t need to get our heads down.  We keep our heads up, relying on our true source of strength and get back up to the plate. Again and again.  Then we go back to the word and practice. 

I am so proud of my son.  I see character and strength, maturity in tough situations that can only be from the Lord.  My eyes leak again, but not because I want something good for my boy, but because he already has it.

Amen.