This is my first time to be a Little League parent. It has been a learning experience for my whole family, not just Zeke. We are half way through the season now and his team’s skill level has gone from bad to not as bad. We lose, a lot. In fact our team has won a single, solitary game so far. We are tied for absolute last place in the league but MOST of the kids have no idea. In fact, my own son runs out of the dugout at the end of every game and asks “Mom! Did we win?”.  ; )

One thing I have noticed is that playing Little League entails many of the same pitfalls that go hand in hand with being a Christian, for most of us. Here are a few similarities, in my opinion.

1. IT’S EXCITING!…Why Don’t Other Folks Want To Play?-  Little League is a BIG deal when you are six. There are new uniforms, new equipment, cheering fans and new people to befriend. Just like being a new Christian. Every day is awesomely exciting…at first…then not so much…then amazing again! What’s not to love?

We can’t believe that other people have no interest in being a Christian and find it even more unbelievable that someone may not have had a great experience when they were. Folks walk away from God and we are mystified. What happened? Don’t they like to wear cleats? (BTW, if you attend a church that requires members to wear cleats, please write me)

2. Failure is always an option (surprise!)- My son fully expects to hit a home run every game. EVERY game. So when he strikes out (60%) of the time, he is shocked. Completely shocked and ridiculously hard on himself.

Zeke is certain that failure was not supposed to be an option on his journey. “I was supposed to be good at this!” he says in a heartbreaking way. I totally understand that, but where do we get those ideas? How many Christians find themselves in the same boat? Wondering what happened? Struggling with “old sins”, falling into new ones right and left.  Failure wasn’t supposed to be an option…was it? No one said anything about THAT in orientation!

3. Compare, Compare- The boys and girls on Zeke’s team are constantly comparing themselves to each other. Who can hit the ball the farthest? Who always gets a hit? Who can run at near sonic speed? I don’t know. Ask Zeke or his team mates. They know and are dying to share the information with you.

Every Christian I know struggles with comparison in some way. We can totally ignore that whole passage in Corinthians about every “part” being vital to the body and instead wish we could be like _____. Or we may go the other direction and assume we are really better than we are since we don’t struggle with _____ like Brother and Sister X. Either way, it’s a slippery complicated slope. I know, since I slide down it, face first, more than you know.   ; )

3. Sometimes We Get BAD Advice – In every game Zeke has played this season, someone ends up tagged out because of bad advice. In Little League baseball, like life, the loudest voices often dominate. The parents screaming “RUN!” from the stands are easier to hear than the first base coach pleading with kids to STOP.  I see kids hesitate over bad advice, time and again, then choose to follow the booming crowd over the coach. The look of dismay that comes over the kids when they realize that they did the “right” thing but still have to make the long, lonely walk to the dugout is sobering. Been there. Done that.

As a Christian, we are called to live in community with others. (God is BIG on community, He’s the original. The OC) When we walk with others, it’s inevitable we get some bad advice along the way. I do believe there are those who set out to deceive, but for the most part, we pass on to other folks bad theology that we have been given. 

When you have been the recipient of such, there are two choices. Get bitter or forgive. I think we know where Jesus lands on this issue.

4.   We Forget- Man, we forget where we have been so easily it makes my head spin. We wrestle and pray and seek and then…something Holy clicks within us and WE GET IT! (insert Angelic chorus here) So the next day, we are frustrated that others are STILL lagging behind. Yes, we just now sort of grasp the concept, but we know that if “they” would just try harder it would be obvious to them as well. Come on already!

Zeke can’t believe that Zack has trouble catching the ball. Still?  He’s four years old! I have trouble being patient with others who still wrestle over issues I have moved on from or feel compelled to explain to me, repeatedly, how I am so clearly wrong in certain areas. Why aren’t they HERE already?

 Oh, yeah, just got here myself. Now I remember…

So what about you? Have anything to add or debate me on? I welcome your insights- just take off your cleats first…