I watched a man repeatedly pitch baseballs to a middle-school-aged boy. The young man swung with about a 30% connection between the bat and ball. Neither of them said anything for nearly 15 minutes.
As he walked off the pitcher’s mound, I told the man that it was unusual to see such silent practice on a ball field. He replied, “My boy’s gone to enough games to see what works best for others. He needs to find his own style. As long as he keeps swingin’ I’ll keep pitchin.’ He’ll find his groove.” Groundbreaking!
Through silence, I realized how this dad minimized a pressure to perform. This man trusted the boy’s process to discover how he could improve his batting average. Dad had confidence that this aspiring baseball player would find whatever he needed to move him forward.
I’ve slowly learned how all creation is designed with whatever we need to develop, and hopefully, mature. Sometimes our growth comes from triumph, sometimes from travail. We respect each part of creation when do what we’re crafted to be. There’s a silent flow of natural energy and evolution.
I’m grateful for this man’s coaching style. His steady reassurance reminds me to loosen my grip and trust my swing. I don’t have to choke up when life throws curve balls. God uses fast pitches, slow pitches, fouls, and strikeouts to coach me toward Homeplate. He’ll always be my front-row cheerleader.
Stepping up the plate,
Christina
Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it (Prov. 22:6).
Reader! Your turn.
Who has been your best coach?
What have they done or said that moves your forward?
For 5-minute audio clips, check out A Slice of PIE with Christina Mae