There I was in uniform from head to toe. Those white stirrup pants with my green socks pulled up to my knees, and the perfect button up jersey tucked in just enough to allow me to fly around the diamond like Dale Murphy. Or maybe I would grace the perfect dirt of the infield with the elegance and precision of Ozzie Smith or Ryan Sandburg. With my cleats on tight and my glove on my hand I was ready for my first day of Tee Ball.
My mother made sure that I was raised on baseball. She was a Cubs fan and I was a Braves fan. Not the winning Braves of 1990 and beyond, oh no, I was a true fan. I’m talking Raffael Ramirez, Glenn Hubbard, Ken Oberkfell, and Bob Horner. Then there was my idol, Dale Murphy. The biggest bat I had ever seen! But now, now it was my turn! I was going to play the game, America’s game! Baseball!!
In time I could hit the ball anywhere my coach told me to. Tee ball was made for this hitter. But it started out a little less glamorous than expected. Half the infield was still grass and there was no fence for me to demonstrate my greatness with. At least not at this, my first practice. Before I would ever honor the plate with my presence I had to learn to catch.
It wasn’t enough to be great at the plate, I needed to learn to receive the catch.
Yes defense was apparently part of the game as well. So I was ready for my Gold Glove.
“Okay Adrian, hold the glove just here under your nose so you can see over it and watch the ball come into your glove. Got it?” Coach was a good coach and here I was in the hands of a master strategist. “Yes sir” I responded. Back then we still used terms of respect, especially in the presence of greatness.
I did just as he said, I held the glove just below my nose and trained my eyes dead on the ball as he threw it to me. That’s when it happened, my first sports injury! It was the coach’s fault to be sure. His instructions were great, but they left off one thing. MOVE THE GLOVE TO CATCH THE BALL! You guessed it, I caught it all right… right in the nose! Blood went everywhere and before Tom Hanks ever said “There’s no crying in baseball”… there was crying in baseball.
You see I knew how to hold the glove and I knew where the ball was coming from, but what I had not yet learned was how to receive the ball.
It is the same with the many amazing and undeserved things that God wants to give us. We know that he wants to pour out on us His blessings, His grace, His salvation, His mercy, His goodness, His love. But it is up to us to be ready to receive them.
“Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.”
Verses like “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you” James 4:8, make is as simple as it can be made. We need to accept the gift He has for us. Often people don’t accept His forgiveness because we can’t forgive ourselves. We don’t receive His grace because we don’t accept also the responsibility that comes with it.
As the prodigal son could not accept the father’s love and forgiveness until he “came to his senses” we too have issues, sins, desires, fear, or other obstacles in our way.
I could have gone home that day bloody and defeated, but my father taught me to finish what I start. I went back and soon was catching without even thinking of the steps to make it happen. I spent more time with the coach and on the practice field.
I encourage you, if you need grace, mercy, forgiveness, peace, comfort, love, then draw near to God. If you need to see the value you have in yourself, draw near to God. If you just need to hear from Him! Draw near to Him. Spend time with the coach. After all He is the author and finisher of our faith. And He is faithful to complete the work He has begun in you.