Little

There is little in modern American life more fascinating than Tee Ball.

12 weeks ago, I was an ignorant and idealistic. I was uninitiated in the realities of this fiery, parental rite of passage.

No longer.

Tee ball is baseball that was washed too long in hot water. Everything is shrunken, miniaturized, calibrated for the little arms and legs of 5 and 6 year old sluggers.

I have learned some interesting things this spring:

No, all people cannot, by instinct, find first base. Some will run toward third. Truly, I am not kidding.

A 5-man pile-up in the outfield will make you laugh out loud, no matter what kind of day you’ve been having. Oh yeah, and there are usually about 7 outfielders.

No matter how hard you work, infielders don’t know whether they should step on the base or tag the runner. They will do both, all the time, so just go with it. …At least, you hope they will.

...They might just stand there. It just depends which way the wind is blowing. The Holy Spirit blows where it will, you know.

I have learned that a grown man of 32-years-old might actually lose perspective in the course of the season so badly as to make a statement like: “man, the guys were really flat today. We’ve been hitting the ball so well the last few games, but today we just couldn’t put any hits together.”

Thankfully, I have a wonderful wife who always knows the right things to say, things like, “wow, you’d think 5 and 6 year olds would be more consistent, huh?”

In the silent moment that passes, I almost say, “yeah, really,” only to look up just in time to catch her eye and see that she’s laughing at me. Thank God.

I have also learned that the same grown man really can be reduced to scratching through a tee ball lineup over and over, trying to find the right mix of playing time for everybody while maintaining an outside shot at victory.

It is now true that there's a group of people out there who probably don't even know my last name, but they know me as "Coach Adam." That's actually even weirder for me than "Reverend."

It’s amazing, really.

Don't get me wrong, there have been some wonderful moments. There have been moments of brilliance when you see the first glimmer of pride in the eyes of a little player who just did something they didn’t think they could do. There has been laughter and celebration, some pain and tears (not mine, it hasn't gotten that bad), but generally a fun time for everybody.

But the most amazing part of teeball, bar none, is not the players on the field…it’s the parents in the stands.

I’ll confess, I’m coaching the team because I didn’t think I could bear the experience of sitting outside the fence, watching from a distance. “Tee Ball parent” is not an easy role for anybody.

Let’s just say that “calm,” “balance,” and “perspective,” are not concepts that thrive in a ballpark environment and leave it at that.

Most of us struggle for calm, balance and perspective when it comes to our kids, and that’s a shame. It’s a shame because the very biggest thing I’ve learned this spring is that the kids will do just fine, if we’ll let them. They’re usually having a blast in spite of us. I've become convinced that perspective is one of the best gifts we can give them, even though they don't usually want it.

Tournament time starts this weekend (pray for me), and we’ve got a big, killer practice planned for Thursday night. Coach Crazy here is actually already thinking of ways to motivate the troops.

I tried out my strategy last night on my own little slugger. “Will,” I said, “are you pumped up and ready to play tonight?”

“Yeah!” he said, really excited. I was so proud. “Man,” I thought, “ he can’t wait to hit the ball, run hard, play great.”

Then he told me the reason for his excitement. “Mom said she’s gonna buy me a hot dog tonight!!”

Right.

This morning, I had the privilege of making the welcome and praying at the SOTH Preschool Mother’s Day Tea. As a power point of photos from the preschool year played on our screens, “Let Them Be Little,” by Billy Dean played in the background.

I know, the lyrics are corny and you only like this kind of thing if you’re an old mom or dad, but you know what, sometimes corny is good:

“So let them be little,
'Cause they're only that way for a while.
Give 'em hope, give them praise,
Give them love every day.
Let 'em cry, let 'em giggle,
Let 'em sleep in the middle,
Oh, but let them be little.”

Last night at our game, I took a moment to look at the stands on both sides of the field. They were full of parents who hung on every pitch, cheering for their kid, yelling and carrying on, some of them helping, some of them hurting.

As we left, I watched a few moments of the game that was happening on the “big field.” There, two teams of what looked like 16 and 17 year olds were playing a really competitive game at a high skill level. The pitcher was throwing off-speed and breaking pitches. The hitters were taking great swings, and the defenders made some good plays.

I looked at the stands down first base and third. For all the skill and dedication on the field, almost nobody was there to watch them and cheer them on. I counted 3 or 4 parents and a few, straggling younger teens who weren’t even paying attention.

What happens between 6 and 16? Lord help us when we put too much pressure on our little ones and forget our big ones altogether. Lord help those of us who take on this mighty task of parenting and grand-parenting. Lord, we really do need your help.

Luke 18:
"16But Jesus called for them and said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs."

God bless all our kids, and God bless the Bill Arp Indians! Let's let 'em be little, and see if we can't try it for ourselves sometime.

Peace,
Adam

LIFE AT SOTH:

Don’t forget that this Sunday is Mother’s Day. Bring Mom to church and make her happy! In honor of Mom, we’re doing our best to make you feel guilty!

DaVinci Code Sermon Series concludes this week, Sunday at 8:30 and 10:00 a.m. This week, “Where Did the Bible Come From” takes a look at the historical origins of the Bible. If you ever wondered where the Bible came from before it was bound on the bookstore shelf, come find out this week!

Playground Update: You’ve no doubt seen the playground work that’s taking place on the North side of the church parking lot. We have graded a place for a new, enlarged playground. Our fencing and mulch is going in this week, followed by new playground equipment, hopefully all in place for our “Kid’s Day” on Saturday, May 20.
That weekend, we will unveil the new playground and invite the community for free hot dogs and cokes, and we’ll have inflatable rides on the church grounds for kids to play on. It should be a great day, and we’ll be offering registration for our Preschool and VBS ministries.
Our playground improvement is being funded from our building fund and SOTH is taking on no debt in this project. 100% of the new equipment will go with us should we relocate to a new church site. The playground will add tremendously to the visual appeal of our church, and greatly enhance our commitment to quality ministry through our preschool and children's ministries. Thanks to all of you for the generosity and volunteer labor making this improvement possible.