The World Series just ended and no offense to baseball fans, but thank God. The “boys of summer” playing through Halloween doesn’t seem right somehow. I was thinking of the all the positions on a team and how important they are to work together. The coaches direct the players often using signals from the dugout. The catcher and pitcher coordinate the kind of pitch to the batter is going to get. And, depending on that batter, the outfield places themselves in certain places based on the way they hit the ball. The second baseman has to have a good arm to make the double play in time and the first baseman has to stretch while keeping on foot on the bag! The outfielders have to talk to each other during a fly ball and also know where the home run wall is so they don’t go crashing while trying to catch the baseball. Everybody works together on the team.
I’ve been told that I am often coming from “left field.” I’ve come to embrace that quality in my personality these days. I used to continue my old ways of hating myself for being in left field, or speaking from left field. I’ve thought a thousand times on the things I said and wished I hadn’t. I think an extrovert with a bit of an anxiety disorder can just speak without thinking…..which has been pointed out to me! So, I’m in left field.
Where are you on the team? Hiding in the dugout? Coaching? Or trying to coach when that is not your role? Are you the pitcher who makes everything happen, who is center to the team layout on the field. Are you the catcher, with your face covered cowering “down” in fear (I’m making a personality analogy, not trying to offend catchers). Are you the umpire “large and in charge?” I suppose we all have different options maybe at different times in our lives.
Maybe it’s like the team on a VdC weekend? The chapel or kitchen cha has the same place on the team as the Rector or Rectora, we are all equal all on the team and God is the coach. I remember my first time being called on team after Seminary and telling my wife that I better do a rollo because I’m studying to be a pastor. And she said “You’ll do what God calls you to do” and I learned a valuable lesson. This morning taking my high school son to school I usually share some word of encouragement to build him up and I said something spontaneous like “You take the most good looking, athletic, rich kid in your school and know that he is no better, or worse, than you. We are all children of God, we are all equal. We all take off our pants one leg at a time!” ( I think that’s how that goes….). Anyway, we are one in the Lord, we are all one in the Spirit, we are one in God!
I’m in left field and that’s okay. Left field is still on the team!
God Loves you and so do I!
Pr. Doug
NLS SD
Eric is our current Webmaster and works on the NLS Communications Team. Raised in Judaism, he found Christ and the New Testament at age 16 in a Southern Baptist Church. He searched many denominations for the real church, only to find the Holy Spirit is present in all of them. He's worked for One for Israel, a group of native Israeli believers who are sharing the gospel in the holy land in Hebrew and is part of the only Hebrew speaking seminary in Israel.
