Hindsight

After I pray and study from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m., I spend time with my family before I go to work. It's a limited window of time, so I have to be intentional. In a future blog post, I plan to write about my schedule, show some of the resources I used to create it, and explain why having a plan works. 

My current activity with my kids is playing baseball. My oldest son is 9, and he is very athletic. Sports come naturally to him. My youngest son, who is almost 8, is still honing his skills, so he asks for one-on-one practice time with me to play better in a group. There's something spiritual about that. 

When my two sons and I play ball, we throw catch in the street or go to the local city baseball fields. This morning, we went to the field and took turns throwing, catching, or hitting. The weather was perfect, and the field was freshly cut and painted.

We had a great time, but towards the end, my youngest son was frustrated that his skills were still lacking. What he doesn't realize is 1) how much he has improved and 2) how much worse he would be without the help of me and his older brother or by not playing at all. He's more focused on what he's not than what he is becoming. There's something spiritual about all that, too. 

One day, his perspective will change. 

Life is like that for us all. I have come to understand that our lives are genuinely orchestrated just for us—our parents, siblings, community, strengths, weaknesses, everything. One day, we will realize it. Then, we can either fight against it or jump in. 

I say, 'play ball.'