This is my first year coaching a 5 yr olds T-ball team. Wow…have you ever herded wild kittens?
That’s much what it feels like. Some are extremely shy. Some will tell you everything about life, home, school, and even some private matters within ten seconds. Some find it hard to break away from parents. Some have a thousand yard stare as you give a simple task, “raise both arms up…raise both arms UP…raise BOTH arms UP!!! RAISE BOTH ARMS UP!!…Ok, forget it.”
I want them to have fun and have a great experience with baseball as most of them are playing for the first time. I also want them to learn that working hard and hustling is integral in every aspect of the game. I hope to teach them how to encourage and cheer on their team while at the same time encouraging players from the opposing team. And then there’s the matter of teaching the fundamentals of baseball—throwing, catching, hitting, running bases, fielding a ball, etc.
Again, in between stories of “possible monsters in their room,” questions of “when do we get a snack,” and “what time is dark?” You’re supposed to teach some basic fundamentals.
It seems easy, right? All ten boys stand still and pay attention. All put your feet at shoulder width apart. Wait, do they know what “shoulder width” is? Wait, do they know what a shoulder is?
“Ok, all boys put your hand and glove in front of your chest in ‘Ready Position.’ Ok, everyone put your hand and glove in front of your chest. Ok, in front of your belly. Nope, not behind you. Ok, pick up your glove. Nope, leave the rocks alone. Nope, stop chasing the butterfly…come back!”
Again, have you ever herded wild kittens?
Thankfully, “You Tube” has great tutorials on everything baseball—throwing, catching, hitting, fielding, etc.
Sadly, “You Tube” doesn’t have tutorials on parenting when things get crazy.
If you’re currently a parent of toddlers or preschoolers—you know something of what I’m talking about. You may think that you completely understand because your current “challenges” (to put it lightly) with a couple of kids under five is the same. Well, it’s not. There’s ten or eleven of these little creatures (again, I’m being kind referring to them in that manner). It’s not simple addition, “two little five yr olds…add one more…add one more…now there’s four little five yr olds.” It’s nothing like that. They multiply their chaotic dysfunction in some dynamic exponential multiplication of synergy! Two of them plus two more does not work out to be four of them. This is synergistic in nature!
Synergy is the interaction of multiple elements in a system to produce an effect different from or greater than the sum of their individual effects. The term synergy comes from the Greek word synergia συνέργεια from synergos, συνεργός, meaning "working together”. (Wikipedia—so it has to be true!)
This is what they do--when you start combining them there is "an effect different from" and far greater than the sum of their individual effects!
Some have said, God must love baseball, because season lasts for over half His 365 day year. I believe God loves baseball because He makes parents start out with T-ball. It’s simply an enjoyment factor for him watching rational, logical, controlled adults trying to herd ten little five yr olds in large open fields with all the distractions He could create in outdoors while giving them instruments to swing and hit stuff. Pure entertainment on His part. That’s what God loves about baseball.
But T-ball with these little balls of chaos and their synergistic force is not the difficult part. Add to it a very sick wife who's been sick for days and now seems to be dehydrated. Add to that three little boys needing to eat—after practice. Add a trip to Urgent Care. Add a trip to get meds while three little boys still need baths.
Remember that old commercial, “Calgon…take me away!” But Calgon can’t touch most of the things we face in life.
And again, “You Tube” doesn’t have a tutorial on evenings like this. And many people have much worse scenarios than that. It could be people with a prolonged serious disease. It may be a child or family member with some sort of mental illness. It may be a physical disability that takes up much time in completing regular daily tasks. So my circumstances are a cake walk for many people. My pity party would be a day in the park for many people.
But where do we take our burdens and difficulties when there’s no You Tube consultation? With no Calgon and no You Tube—what’s a person to do?
There is a high and exalted three Persons of the Trinity that watch all matters of life for all peoples. They aren’t distantly unapproachable, nor deistically indifferent (Deism). They do allow circumstances to occur that leave us grasping for understanding and control—yet they have never had to grasp for understanding or control.
They, this glorious Trinity, are sufficiently sovereign. They hold objective knowledge about us in their understanding. They are immeasurably compassionate and concerned—though we deserve nothing. Experiences of grace and mercy and compassion and comfort and truth flow from their very essence.
And based on those truths about this high and exalted Trinity—they speak through the Bible:
Psalm 51:1-5
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your steadfast love; according to Your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only , have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.”
Rough day—tough circumstances? Not nearly as bad as what I deserve for living each day having numerous sins against a holy, high and exalted, righteous God. A friend of mine, Al Ragsdale, has always said one thing—every time anyone greets him with, “How you doin?” Al always, always responds with, “Much better than I deserve.” It flows out of his thinking. He has embraced God’s view of him—a person deserving wrath—yet Jesus becoming His substitute—and him experiencing unmerited favor! Simply, “Much better than I deserve!”
Herding cats (T-ball players) or caring patiently with sick family members or facing insurmountable difficulties—whatever you’ve got to bring to the table—there is a sufficient God who cares and offers hope and love and grace and truth.
I’ll close with another section where God speaks to us in His word that solidifies me in difficult times:
Psalm 34:1-8
“I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth. My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad. Oh, magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt His name together! I sought the LORD, and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to Him are radiant and their faces shall never be ashamed. This poor man cried and the LORD heard him and saved him out of all his troubles. The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear Him, and {He} delivers them. Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!”
Sankie P. Lynch
sankie@nbchurch.info
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