Make the Play: It's time to stop sitting on the sidelines

Softball season is in full swing. Yes, that pun was intentional. With four daughters who love to play, I’ve sat through a combined total of 26 seasons of softball games. I’ll probably sit through 37 more seasons unless one of them plays in college. In that case, I’ll have even more.

I didn’t know much about softball when my oldest started playing ten years ago. I played one season of t-ball when I was little and that was the extent of my career. My skills weren’t impressive and didn’t show signs of improvement. My knowledge was minimal as well. Seven innings, three bases, single, double, triple, and hit the ball with the bat when the pitcher throws it.

I know a lot more now. I know the batter shouldn’t drop their shoulder when they swing. If they do, they’ll have a pop fly that’s easy for the other team to catch. I know the pitcher should release the ball at their hip and follow through with their lower arm up to their chest. Release too early, the ball will be too low. Release too late, the ball will soar over the catcher’s head. Don’t follow through with the arm, the ball will fly to the right. Unless the pitcher is left handed in which case it will fly to the left. I know the outfield players are important for backing up throws from the catcher to 2nd or 3rd base when an opponent is trying to steal a base. Here’s an important one – the catcher, not the pitcher, has the most control over the game. If they’re good, they have a picture of the whole field in their mind during every pitch and they know exactly how they’ll respond to each scenario without a moment’s hesitation. They often set the attitude and pace of the game by their actions.

I could go on but my point isn’t to write a softball technique manual. It’s this…

My skills are still lousy on the softball field. I know the batting position but I can’t hit a line drive. A pop fly hit in my direction would probably land on the ground beside me. I’d break my ankle if I tried to slide into home.

I’ve sat in my portable, folding arm chair and watched from the sidelines for all those seasons. I’m usually the one with the score book on my lap.

I’ve sat… learning and learning… but never doing a thing with it. My head is jammed full of softball knowledge but I've never put it into use to make a play of my own.

Churches are full of people doing the same thing. They’ve sat and watched the sermon and worship team for years. They’re loyal, dedicated fans of the church game who give a loud cheer when a great play happens such as a new adult small group, youth mission trip, or adventurous VBS week. They’ve never tried to be part of a great play out on the field, though.

Their experience is a lot of understanding about what it means to be a follower of Christ but no actual game time. They’ve never developed or tested their gaming skills.

On the softball field, those skills are batting, running, catching, and throwing. It involves a comprehension of the whole game and how it all comes together in one play. Following Christ is really no different. The Christian’s gaming skills are prayer, Bible study, discipleship, and living as a witness. They also need a good understanding of the whole game and how it all came together in one play on the cross.

I’ve heard a lot of teaching on prayer but it didn’t become an intimate, active conversation with a loving Savior until I started doing it. I learned how to make the play on the field of prayer when I set aside time every day to talk to Him. That’s when things became real as the power we wield through prayer humbled me.

I sat through a lot of sermons on Bible passages but never remembered much later. I remembered the plays of the game, though, when I started opening the Bible and studying for myself. The Spirit prompted my memory with a verse appropriate to a difficult situation. The hard parts of His Word started to make sense rather than appear as a contradiction as the whole picture began coming together in my mind. I realized I could help another player on the team as they struggled in a certain area just as others have been there to help me.

I’ve read a lot of lists of do’s and don’ts for a good Christian lifestyle; lists created by men to control others. Prayer and Bible study naturally create a lifestyle of good plays without a list of rules. Loving your neighbor comes a lot more easily. Trusting in God’s provision starts to make a lot more sense. We understand the importance of a faithful marriage between one man and one woman as we learn how it all aligns with God’s design. Until we’re on the field and making the plays, however, the list of rules won’t make sense.

I’m not the MVP of this game; many better players are out on the field with me. Paul was a pretty good player and yet he wrote, “For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by God’s grace I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not ineffective” (1 Corinthians 15:9-10). The goal isn’t to be the star player on the team. The goal is to be a part of the team, to learn to make the plays, and bring honor and glory to the Coach.

Because then, when the game is over, we’ll be part of the huddle out on the field where He’ll tell us good job, we’ll put our hands together in the middle of the circle, and we’ll all yell His name as we rejoice in victory. We won’t still be sitting on the sidelines.

Part of the Team: Being recognized as a follower of Christ

My daughter finished her spring soccer season this past weekend. Soccer is a popular activity for many of the young families in this community of 90,000 people. If you visit a local store or restaurant on any given Saturday throughout the season, you are bound to see a child in a soccer t-shirt. You recognize them by their jersey number in a distinctive font on the back of their shirt. Quite often, one of their parents is wearing a matching shirt distinguished by the word “COACH” above their number.

This last weekend was the tournament. Many families were out and about as they waited between the games of the different rounds. My husband – always friendly and talkative – struck up conversations with some of them. At lunch on Saturday, he asked some people how they did in the first round; he encouraged them as they started round two. On the second day, many families were waiting out a thunderstorm at a local pizza restaurant. My husband asked around to see if anyone had heard yet if the league was going to cancel or postpone the games. He then passed the information along to other families.

As Christians, we don’t have distinctive numbers on our back to let others know we are part of the team. Instead, Jesus left us with some qualities and behaviors that should be evident in our lives. “By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). Our love is the mark of His presence within us; it is the distinctive emblem showing we are part of the team. How we treat others displays how we love them. Our actions toward others are evidence of our faith and membership in the kingdom. (Read James 2:14-26; Matthew 25:34-46; and John 14:8-14.)

Returning to the soccer story, my husband is one of those parents with the word “COACH” on his back. As part of that role, he stands on the side lines of the field and instructs the girls. He tells them when and where they need to be on the field, how to play the game, and cheers them on when they make a goal. This weekend, though, he took the coaching role off the field and out into the world. He encouraged kids whom he recognized as players, even though they weren’t on his team. He passed along information to other families because he knew it would help them.

In our Christian lives, being a “coach” is also evidence of our relationship with Christ. As we grow in our understanding of Him, our responsibility is to teach and encourage others who are spiritually younger. We help them grow in their knowledge of God and know how to live a lifestyle honoring to God. We cheer them on in the process. Like my husband displayed this weekend, this doesn’t just apply for those on our personal team. All believers, the world-wide body of Christ, are all playing the same game. We all need to learn, grow, and be encouraged together as we wait for the return of Christ, “and all the more as we see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:25).

Golf & God: Finding God on the golf course

The US Open golf tournament and Christianity – do they have anything in common?

As I watched the tournament with my husband, an aerial view provided a unique perspective that reminded me of our Christian journey. The overhead camera showed Rory McIlroy at the tee box as he prepared to drive the ball. Divots in the turf surrounded him where many others had made their drive from that same box. Rather than solid green, the whole tee box was tightly dotted with brown divots.

A few moments later, Rory continued to drive towards the green. Another camera shot on the fairway showed more divots, only this time they were yards apart instead of inches apart. Due to the excellent skill of the professional golfers in the Open, their first shots took each of them fairly close to the same position. As they progressed down the fairway, their respective drives took them further and further from each other as they each made their own unique journey. However, they all worked toward a common goal – to land the ball in the hole on the green at the end of the fairway.

Each Christian makes a similar journey.

We all start at the same point like the golfers who each placed their tee in the ground and began their drive from the box. At that beginning point, we recognized our own sin and need for a Savior. We repented and placed our faith in Jesus Christ who forgave us through His grace.

From that common point of beginning, we each branch out in different ways. Poor choices or uncontrollable circumstances may leave us out in the rough, aiming to get back on course. Some may drive a straight line to the hole while others may zigzag all over the fairway. Regardless of the journey we take, we all work towards a common place.

The golfer’s goal is to land his ball in the cup. Similarly, we work toward our eternal home in heaven with the One who redeemed us, Jesus.

Some may say my analogy could show different journeys all lead us to the same desired end. For example, someone may say a journey through Islam or Buddhism will each have the same end result of "landing their ball in the cup." He might say we all take different journeys but every journey of faith results in eternity with God.

A problem exists with a pluralistic application. In the golf analogy, each player begins their journey at the same point on the appropriate tee box. Players could possibly wander onto the course and begin their drives from out in the rough. Although they would reach the pin at the end, their drives wouldn't be successful because they didn't begin at the tee box. Likewise, golfers might begin their drives on the tee box for hole six. They hit the ball off of six and it lands on the green for hole seven. We wouldn't count that as success for hole seven. The drive only counts if it began on the tee box for hole seven. We may begin a spiritual journey on some other path only to realize we need to be on the one that leads to eternity with God. To find eternal success, we must begin on the appropriate tee box - we must go through the saving grace offered by Jesus Christ.