What starts as a passion, can become a ministry.

Britt pitching at a JBHS Varsity game vs. Northern 3/30/2011

With the grass beginning to turn green...


Actually yesterday as I was driving, I smelled that all to lovely smell of fresh cut grass! I was so excited! 
But grass is not the topic of this blog entry. Baseball is - sort of.

As any of you who are my friends on Facebook have by now realized by the abundance of pictures of my brothers caught in random sports like poses....Baseball season has begun! Baseball has been part of the family for about 7 years now. From Little League to High School  ball, we've done it all! I find it fascinating that the boys can still vividly remember a game from 5 years ago. Right down to the pitches and where they came across the plate, how they swung at it, and what went right...or wrong...in the seconds after it was thrown. Sheesh! I can remember a couple games, but nothing like that. I just remember being there and that they won. The score or how they won I do not recall. 

When I say Baseball is a FAMILY sport - I mean it. I remember last summer, coming home from working a tiring week at camp and finding out that I had to bring Daniel to Smithsburg, MD at 9am Saturday morning. And on a day that I just wanted to sleep and prepare for the next week at camp. Everyone in the family does their part. Making sure the boys have enough water and carbs. CLEAN uniforms. And of course...support on the field and personal photographer(even if it's 30º outside with blizzard like conditions).

Josiah batting in at JBHS Varsity game vs. Northern 3/30/2011

Until a few weeks ago, I saw baseball as a passion, but my view has since changed.


 Sometime in the past month I had a crazy dream where my family met a MLB player and started a baseball clinic/ministry type thing in a 3rd world country as well as here in the states. We got to travel ALL OVER the world doing what the boys love most...playing and coaching baseball. Naturally, I told my family about this and we all got a good laugh.


   But it's not too far off actually. Last night I went to practice for the team dad is coaching, which also happens to be Daniel's ball team. I was getting video footage of the boys batting so they could pick out what needed improvement. As I sat there listening to the boys chatter both behind me and on the field, I was struck with an overwhelming sense of the ministry opportunity my family has in this sport. 
    When you have a group of 13 boys ages12-14, you can imagine the conversations that go on. I was so proud of Daniel, who always seems to be the quiet one at home that nobody pays attention to, unless it's to yell at him for coming in the house covered in mud(which I for one am trying harder to always be encouraging to him). Quietly, but sternly, he kept telling the boys that what they were talking about was inappropriate. I sat there smiling, and so proud of him for standing up for what's right! :)
  
   I also got to watch dad as coach. What patience it takes with boys that age! Boys of any age for that matter. Mom kept rolling her eyes at how embarrassing he was, making corny jokes and doing the dumbest things to keep the kids focused on practice. The kids love it! But at the end of the day- he is just as real with them as a coach should be. Most of these boys, we've watched come up through Little League. Daniel's played with them and against them. We know most of their families at least by sight. You can tell which kids come from families that are closer knit, whether christian or not. It was interesting as I watched each boy come up to the plate. Body language tells so much and to see all the insecurity they have made me think twice about just blowing baseball off as only a 'sport'.  It is a ministry. Dad has the opportunity to encourage and strengthen lives of all those boys. Who knows, they might always remember him as the one person that showed them Jesus, whether it was by a smile, or taking time to listen to them. 


Britt, Josiah and Daniel have a different, but similar ministry. The teammate ministry. They play, practice, breathe the same thing as the other players. They see the game from the players perspective, they are looked at, not as a coach, but a brother. A Teammate. They have the opportunity to minister right where they are on the bench, in the field, stealing second base...who knows how God is using them this year as they use their passion as a platform for their ministry.




So what's your passion? What do you love? Because that can very well be the platform to your ministry.


Dios te bendiga
♥