Summer Softball = Perfect Picture of Parent Life
Posted on Thursday, October 1, 2015 by
As we watched our daughter play her first season of softball, I learned a few things. One, I learned I'm too competitive for my own good. I really, really like to win! To be honest though, there's not much "winning" that goes on at her level. Most of the games end in a tie beacuse most innings are finished when the team at bat gets five runs not when the other team gets three outs. Two, I learned to be thankful for the umpire and the rules of the game.
You see, the rules state that each batter gets four pitches. Strikes or balls, it doesn't matter; four pitches to get a hit. For most of the batters, there are no hits. They just don't make the connection on their own. And, it is hard to watch. Then, after those four painful pitches, the umpire swoops in with a tee for the batter to hit off of. The merciful, compassionate, umpire, whom I now love, offers the batter another chance to hit. They offer the batter another option...a way to make a connection between the bat in their hands and the ball in front of them. And the hit is made! It doesn't always go very far, but it goes far enough for the batter to move ahead on the diamond with a sense of accomplishment.
What an amazing picture of our role at Parent Life. We come in contact with teens every day who just cannot seem to make a connection in life. They cannot seem to keep an eye on their goals long enough to make the connection between the tools in their hands and the objectives in front of them. Yet, they try. A lot of times they try and fail. But, with compassion and mercy, we are able to come in with support and make it just a little easier for them to make the contact they need to advance some more in their journey. We are able to help them move forward with a sense of accomplishment. Thank you for your role in this ministry to teen parents.
Beth Swihart
Parent Life