On Deck

Baseball is not a sport I enjoy watching. It’s a little slow-moving for me. However, I enjoy listening to talk about baseball: the stats, the strategy, the technicality of how to throw a baseball and field a ball.

It’s not that I wasn’t exposed to baseball. When I was born my dad bought me a baseball and glove. In school I played baseball in gym class. Not being a very good athlete, I struggled. Catching the ball was difficult; hitting the ball was impossible. When each of my three boys was born, my dad bought baseballs and gloves and taught them to catch. I went to all of my kids’ games.

This morning a friend asked me how I want my time on deck to be spent. Even with my limited knowledge of baseball, I know about on deck.

For those of you who know even less about baseball than I do, on deck refers to being next in line to bat. The player waits in the on-deck circle which is positioned in the foul area between home plate and the team bench. Here the on-deck batter warms up as he waits for the current batter to finish his turn.

Using my friend’s metaphor, when people of the older generation pass away, I am left on deck. Both of my parents are gone as are my husband’s parents. All of my husband’s parents’ siblings are gone. Two of my mother’s are still living and one of their husbands. I’m not on deck yet, but I’ve moved to the end of the bench.

Since this morning the question has been rolling around in my head. How do I want to spend my time on deck? There are several choices. I can spend the time warming up. I can review strategy. I can plan for the kind of pitch that is likely to be thrown.

My first thought and answer was that I want to develop a character that is marked by what the Bible calls gifts of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. However, now that I’ve had some time to think about it, my answer is to spend my time on deck building, mending, strengthening relationships with the people who are most important to me–my husband, my children, other family members, my friends. Once I’ve gone to take my turn at bat, the thing that will be left of a lasting nature will be the relationships with the people I love. When they take their position on deck, it may be the relationship we shared that will help them be strong and capable for their turn at bat.