by Bob Wade
Baseball is a tough game, wonderful, yes, but not easy. One need only look at the stats baseball keeps track of, unearned runs, passed balls, strikeouts; negative stuff. Of course it tracks the good too, but since Hall of Fame status typically only requires you to succeed 30% of the time, there’s lots of failure with which one must deal.
Helping our kids learn to deal with this adversity is one of the great challenges parents face. We want our kids to succeed; they want the same, yet that doesn’t mean we always get it. (The U.S. team’s performance in the World Baseball Classic is proof of that.)
Getting what we want usually necessitates having a plan, and staying with it. Hitting requires a plan, pitching requires a plan, running the bases; fielding, coaching, heck, even the on-deck hitter should have a plan.
In baseball the best plan is to know the game so thoroughly, that you react as you have been taught. Of course the only way this happens is by practicing . . . a lot. Practice builds muscle and mental memory of the game. Unfortunately many kids and parents today have the wrong plan, and their fundamentals are the worse for it. Playing has become more important than learning and developing our ability to play the game like it should be played. No matter how you look at it, getting four at bats in a game is not as effective as taking 100 cuts at practice.
The second part of the plan is coaching. Good coaching is everything; it includes instruction, development, adjustment, strategy and attitude. And even the best players in the game still need it. Obviously a coach can’t put in what God left out, but if the parts are there, the good coach can cut it and fashion it into a diamond.
The correlation with baseball and life is obvious; just as baseball requires a plan, life requires a plan. The right life plan has to encompass all four areas of our lives; mental, physical, social and spiritual.
Mentally - Most people couldn’t get through a day without exercising their minds and for that matter neither should we. The ability to think and reason is a gift from God and we should use it to its fullest extent.
Physically - You can’t get through one of the morning talk shows without being reminded we need to exercise our bodies. Which of course means jogging, aerobics; lifting weights and pushing away from the table are all options we need to consider.
Socially - Who wants to be a hermit? Far too many people are lonely today. Isolation within our own little kingdom only compounds the problem. We really do need each other.
Spiritually - Believe it or not, this aspect of our lives also needs a plan, yet the spiritual sides of our lives are the easiest for us to over look. Imagine driving your car on three good tires and a flat and considering it okay. It's impossible to ignore the thump. In the same way we can't forget about our inner need for God and His love for us.
So where do we start? Good question. We need to start with the Truth. A famous Bible scholar was once asked, "What is the greatest truth you have learned in all your studies?" His reply was simple yet profound. He then began quoting an old children’s song, “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.”
Personally, it all starts with a relationship with God. You begin this relationship by placing your trust in Him. This is an act of faith that He is there and will answer in our time of need. Next you need to find a good Church, one that holds the Bible as the Word of God and provides opportunities for personal growth and development. A good plan always has its rewards, and this one is no exception, its reward is without end.
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