Called Up!
Good Morning Girls! My husband Tom signed up to be our son Thomas' baseball coach this year. I thought it was a great idea. I loved the thought of father and son being out on the field together, and I knew Tom would be an excellent coach.
What I didn't know is that him being coach made me "bench mother" by default. What is a bench mother you ask? The bench mother is the one who makes sure that the kids (and by kids I mean 12 boys and 2 girls ages 5-6) are ready when it is their turn to bat. The bench mother keeps track of the runs and outs and makes sure we follow the 5 run rule. The bench mother makes sure that the kids that are on the bench while the rest of the team is on the field do not kill each other. The bench mother finds herself saying things like "stop playing in the dirt", "take your seat on the bench", and "keep your hands to yourself" about a million times per game. On many nights the bench mother extracts a few kids climbing the fence while their parents look on as if this is totally normal and acceptable behavior.......
As you can see, it is a lot of work being a good bench mother. I often look out on the field at the coach and 2 assistant coaches who are standing out in the glorious sunset relaxed with smiles on their faces. I see them enjoying the game as I am having conversations that go like this: "Johnny just bit me". "Is this true Johnny?" "Yes" "Why would you bite Mikey?" "I was bored and I was raised by wolves. It's what I do".
Was exactly is the proper response to that?
One night I said to the coaches "I think I got the hardest job here". They all laughed and were like "Duh....why do you think we are out on the field". I accepted this answer. After all, I wasn't a ball player. I was a mom. It made perfect sense to me that I should be in charge of the bench. The bench that I have put myself on for years (if you haven't already, go back and read yesterdays post before you continue).
That all changed last night. When the kids and I got to the field Tom was waiting for us by his car. "Do you want a shirt?" he asked. "A coaches shirt?" I said with a puzzled look I am sure. "Yes. A coaches shirt". "Cool" I said and put it on. Then he pulled out a team hat. "You even have a hat for me?" "Think I don't?" he said as he handed me the hat. "Sweet".....
I don't know why but this was like a really huge deal for me. I felt like I had just received a nod of approval from my man......the coach. I had been promoted. I was no longer bench mother. I was now a coach. I was official. I was "good enough".
The parents, other coaches, and even the kids noticed right away and commented. "I've been called up!" I said smiling. "Called up from the Minors and made official". The parents, coaches, and kids thought it was pretty cool (as evidenced by receiving "knuckles" and high fives by the little "Bullfrogs").
Of course, this promotion came with a price. I was now put out on the field behind the catcher when it was our teams turn in the field. I worked harder than ever and I am embarrassed to admit that my right shoulder is sore this morning from throwing the ball back to the pitcher.
Despite the fact that I was dripping with sweat and even more tired than normal I loved every minute of it. I loved it because I felt part of the team. I was good enough to wear the green Bullfrog hat and shirt. I was not just the hired hand.....I was part of the team.
As Christians we have all been "Called up". We have been called up to the Team. The team that will spend eternity with the best Coach in all of creation! Our "uniforms" are the white robes of righteousness that we received when we accepted Jesus as our Coach. Not one of us will be left on the bench. We will all play ball.....
And just as my green shirt came with a price, so did our white robes. They were bought with the blood of Jesus. He shed his precious blood so that we all may live in victory. We are the World Series Champions today and forever. And just like in Little League, the best way to avoid striking out is to listen to the direction of the Coach. He knows how to lead you to victory!!!!
Romans 1:6 and you are included among those Gentiles who have been called (up) to belong to Jesus Christ.
Love, grace, and a spot on the Team for you all-
Jen
What I didn't know is that him being coach made me "bench mother" by default. What is a bench mother you ask? The bench mother is the one who makes sure that the kids (and by kids I mean 12 boys and 2 girls ages 5-6) are ready when it is their turn to bat. The bench mother keeps track of the runs and outs and makes sure we follow the 5 run rule. The bench mother makes sure that the kids that are on the bench while the rest of the team is on the field do not kill each other. The bench mother finds herself saying things like "stop playing in the dirt", "take your seat on the bench", and "keep your hands to yourself" about a million times per game. On many nights the bench mother extracts a few kids climbing the fence while their parents look on as if this is totally normal and acceptable behavior.......
As you can see, it is a lot of work being a good bench mother. I often look out on the field at the coach and 2 assistant coaches who are standing out in the glorious sunset relaxed with smiles on their faces. I see them enjoying the game as I am having conversations that go like this: "Johnny just bit me". "Is this true Johnny?" "Yes" "Why would you bite Mikey?" "I was bored and I was raised by wolves. It's what I do".
Was exactly is the proper response to that?
One night I said to the coaches "I think I got the hardest job here". They all laughed and were like "Duh....why do you think we are out on the field". I accepted this answer. After all, I wasn't a ball player. I was a mom. It made perfect sense to me that I should be in charge of the bench. The bench that I have put myself on for years (if you haven't already, go back and read yesterdays post before you continue).
That all changed last night. When the kids and I got to the field Tom was waiting for us by his car. "Do you want a shirt?" he asked. "A coaches shirt?" I said with a puzzled look I am sure. "Yes. A coaches shirt". "Cool" I said and put it on. Then he pulled out a team hat. "You even have a hat for me?" "Think I don't?" he said as he handed me the hat. "Sweet".....
I don't know why but this was like a really huge deal for me. I felt like I had just received a nod of approval from my man......the coach. I had been promoted. I was no longer bench mother. I was now a coach. I was official. I was "good enough".
The parents, other coaches, and even the kids noticed right away and commented. "I've been called up!" I said smiling. "Called up from the Minors and made official". The parents, coaches, and kids thought it was pretty cool (as evidenced by receiving "knuckles" and high fives by the little "Bullfrogs").
Of course, this promotion came with a price. I was now put out on the field behind the catcher when it was our teams turn in the field. I worked harder than ever and I am embarrassed to admit that my right shoulder is sore this morning from throwing the ball back to the pitcher.
Despite the fact that I was dripping with sweat and even more tired than normal I loved every minute of it. I loved it because I felt part of the team. I was good enough to wear the green Bullfrog hat and shirt. I was not just the hired hand.....I was part of the team.
As Christians we have all been "Called up". We have been called up to the Team. The team that will spend eternity with the best Coach in all of creation! Our "uniforms" are the white robes of righteousness that we received when we accepted Jesus as our Coach. Not one of us will be left on the bench. We will all play ball.....
And just as my green shirt came with a price, so did our white robes. They were bought with the blood of Jesus. He shed his precious blood so that we all may live in victory. We are the World Series Champions today and forever. And just like in Little League, the best way to avoid striking out is to listen to the direction of the Coach. He knows how to lead you to victory!!!!
Romans 1:6 and you are included among those Gentiles who have been called (up) to belong to Jesus Christ.
Love, grace, and a spot on the Team for you all-
Jen
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