This year started very differently for us. It's the first year Stephen wouldn't be playing since he graduated. That meant our time wouldn't be split between two boys which made things easier, but didn't take away the sting of missing seeing Stephen on the mound. And we've never known a year without two boys playing. There were also question marks looming over John's season. John had suffered a back injury his sophomore year at SMC. He had played through it with lots of therapy and pain, but we knew something had to be done in the offseason. Since it was his second year of juco, he had to make the decision where he would go and play next. He had not committed to the offers made, even late in the game. Nothing seemed quite right or a fit. I think he settled and half heartedly made a decision in his head but God quickly stepped in, thankfully. And then a call came...North Greenville was hiring a new coach. Not just any coach. They were hiring Landon Powell and John was asked to hold on and at least talk to him. NGU wasn't really on John's go to list. We also heard that he was bringing a pitching coach with him. Not just any pitching coach. They were hiring Jon Coutlangus. He was at Charleston Southern at the time, where Stephen was finishing his senior year, but wasn't getting to coach pitchers. Stephen told John he had gotten to spend a day with him during that season and learned an awful lot. He told him he may really want to consider NGU. Thankfully Coach Powell called and we sat and talked. The only question left was the back. Dr visits and tests had already started but we had no answers. John was upfront about the injury but, unlike some coaches, he didn't write John off. He knew about injuries and rehab and believed in John coming back. He still didn't want to make a commitment and then get bad news from the Dr. that he would have to back out, but coach wanted him to commit, so John committed. He was told to work hard in rehab and be ready for opening day. Fall was no fun! Watching the team practice and work while he sat and went to rehab was not fun. Wondering all along how it would be once rehab was complete and he got back on the field was no fun. I remember holding on to what I knew in my head but came to believe in my heart and that is that God really does work all things for our good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. He was in control of the injury and the timing of it. Between having a great Dr, a great rehab work ethic, and having a coach who believed in him and most importantly serving a God who is still in the healing business, John was ready opening day. He placed him on a team where he could be encouraged in his walk and also be an encouragement to others. He placed him under a Christian coach with a testimony who walks it out and who was no stranger to injuries himself. He was allowed to be a 2-way until pitching seemed to become more of a need than 1st and what was amazing to all of us is that he really hadn't thrown hardly any since high school and ended up having a phenomenal year on the mound as well as a not so bad batting average. The coaching staff took a team who had only won 8 games the year before and turned it completely around. They ended with a winning record, won some series, swept some series, won their conference tournament and went to a ncaa regional for the first time. We told John when NGU first called that we believed the coach would turn it around pretty fast, which of course was a question for someone who only had 2 years left since he was a junior, but we would never have thought it would be this fast or this big of a turnaround. Another way God was just working it out. John could've gone to a few other places and might've been frustrated and may never have seen the mound. Great coaches are key. They not only can turn teams around and win but they also know what to do with who they have. What still makes me laugh is that John went to SMC as a pitcher and ended up on 1st and hitting and he came to NGU as a 1st baseman and hitter and ended up on the mound most of the time. He's been blessed to have great coaches who knew not only where John could do well but where he would best help the team at the time. Those are fun coaches and teams to watch. Ultimately, my belief is that God placed both of my boys where He wanted them to be for school and baseball. That takes a lot of pressure off knowing that He is ultimately in control of my boys and their #1 coach. Yes, lots of good things happened this year.
Actually great things happened this year! It was so nice to watch John play again injury free and pain free. Watching him struggle through the pain was rough. It was fun watching this group of boys become a team, a team who liked each other and played well together. A team that consisted of some players who had been there all along, which was awesome seeing them enjoy a winning season, some players transferring from other schools, and some juco players. Who knew how all of that would go? Yep, it's baseball, but I believe it was a God thing. All good things come from Him, right? He's taught us some good life lessons during good seasons and bad, molded and shaped our character, taught us trusting Him is better than trying to control things yourself, being a team player is better than living in your own selfish world, hard work pays off, and on and on it goes. He reaches down into our ordinary, everyday lives and teaches us about Himself, if we let Him. He shows us that on some days we can be a hero and the next day not so much, but He's working in all of it. I do know it's always better to follow Him and go where He says go. He even saves us from ourselves when we are about to make the wrong decision. He opens up a new door while we are scratching our heads wondering what is going on and then floods us with blessings. And we scratch our heads again.
I'm super thankful that as much time as we spend sitting by the diamond, as much energy as we spend on it, as much heart and soul that we spend on it, that God is not absent from it. He's there enjoying it with us, teaching us, bringing relationships into our lives that teach us so much, convicting us of poor attitudes and redeeming it by giving us another game to get it right, and that's just on the parent side of the fence. I'm sure the players on their side of the fence could share many ways God has shown up and taught them. A few of my fave pics from the year...
No comments:
Post a Comment