Weekends, Coffee, & Baseball.

Weekends. Coffee. & Baseball. 

That is the text on one of my favorites from my collection of ironic "mom uniform" sweatshirts and t-shirts (and yes, I just saw how horrible the punctuation is on this one, ha ha).

Pulling this out of my closet signifies the start of another season of life for my little family: SPORTS! Yes, we do play soccer in the fall with the little church league which is mostly just for fun, but when we step into the baseball and softball seasons, we play "real" sports with competitive placements, championships, and alllllll the pressure to perform.

This is also the start of the rushed afternoons of homework on the go, crock pot dinners, and too much take-out (Queue the dialogue about how the value of family dinners has been lost, or how we over-schedule our kids). It's another one of those seasons where it feels hurried in the moment, but we lean into it knowing that we will someday miss it like the others. 

A Schedule Change

This post was originally was going to ask the question, “Is it worth it?” in light of our busy schedules and examine the legacy we really want to leave our children–but something happened this past weekend: We volunteered to coach our 11-year-old son’s baseball team. 

Us.
People who have never coached anything truly competitive, much less baseball.
It definitely "came out of left field" (pun intended).

Yet, while we were going through the initial buyer's remorse and questioning if we wanted sports accomplishments more than our son (he loves playing, but could take more initiative without prompting), I also realized that he was taking it about as seriously as we were--which isn't with the same enthusiasm as other parents. 

My husband and I have both played sports as kids, but we wouldn’t be considered “sporty” people now. We love being homebodies, and if you looked to our kids as a reflection, you would see that our family values God, school, and (shame incoming) enjoying video games and general nerd-life. Of course, they also love playing outside and with friends, but it's all adventure games and fort building–not voluntarily going to workout or practice drills.

Evaluations Off the Field

Now, at first glance you might say, “Wow, that’s great! It’s really good to have those priorities! We don’t all have to be sporty people!” And of course, I’d agree: I have a great life, have some sweet kids, and I know they will have wonderful, Christ-centered lives and relationships even if they never play a sport. Yet, still, I'm left with one nagging feeling . . . 

Is that why my kids don’t play/do _________?

When you apply the logic to other areas, it's convicting: 

• Is this why they speak to others the way they do? Is this why they are this particular type of friend?
• Is this why they take care of their rooms or toys this way? Is this why they do chores with this particular attitude?
• Is this why they do their schoolwork in this fashion? Is this how they prioritize their time or take pride in what they do?
• Is this why my kids don’t read their Bible on their own? Is this why they approach church the way they do? 

While I can point to some of their own struggles or strengths, I can't help but still see a reflection of some of my own actions or what they observe. I read my Bible almost every day--but they don't see it very often because it's before they get up. It's funny how they suddenly go through a spurt of self-started devotions or journalling once summer starts and I'm sitting down later in the morning. Or in a negative sense, I can see how my attitude on a given morning will be echoed in their own personal complaints. For better or worse, we influence our children without any given directions. 

Coaching Like Jesus

We TELL our children a lot with words or expectations, but we SHOW them through our own actions and convictions--just like a coach might demonstrate the day's drill or show a little hustle.  

We think to be a good witness to those in our workplaces or down at the coffee shop, but maybe aren't as aware of how our habits and discipline are shaping our own families. Can they point out an example of when you lived out what they are being told to do? I'm sure you could confidently answer in some areas, but in others, you might wonder what they would come up with. 

We often wonder if there is a disconnect, and while they have their own free-wills and personalities, we forget that children are sponges. In fact, the same logic applies to our spouses as well, and as "iron sharpens iron" (Proverbs 27:17), we need to be living examples of our convictions to encourage each other. If we notice something negative in the attitudes of our family, we should be examining ourselves first. If we are looking to start encouraging a spiritual discipline in our children, we need to model it for them in our own lives. 

It's not as much "do as I say," as it's leading by example in the same way our savior did on earth. We literally have to get down from the stands and practice with them . . . just like He did. 

So while my sports life has now gone from "weekends" to "most of the week," I need to remember that a being a disciple is a 24/7 commitment, and my walk with Christ is more than just about me--it's about the family He has entrusted to me to serve as well. Let us all start out each day with good intentions, a hardy, "PLAY BALL!," and lots and lots of coffee.