When my son, Steve, was about 11 years old, we signed him up for little league. This was the first year he would face "live pitching" from a peer. Before that Steve was knocking the daylights out of an imitation hardball that was placed on a large rubber tee. The beauty of T-ball, was that the ball never moved until you hit it, or you hit the tee. This was definitely a hitter's game. Enough said.

On the first day of practice, when I dropped Steve off to meet his new coach and teammates, I stuck around to watch, but yet stayed in the car a fair distance away. I didn't see other dads or moms around, so I thought Steve would probably not want me hanging around the backstop like some kind of wannabe baseball guru.

I could tell Steve was very nervous and uneasy as he slowly walked to the field. He thumped his mitt with every step he took with his left foot, as if he was walking to some kind of baseball cadence. When he approached the backstop, the coach said something to him and after a minute or two, Steve pivoted on one foot and walked back to the car, thumping his mitt in cadence once again. As he walked up to the driver's window, I could tell he was in the middle of a huge internal struggle. His eyes were screaming at me, "Get me out of here. I don't know any of these guys and the coach doesn't seem as nice as my dad :) and I'm flat-out scared." Even though his eyes were speaking volumes his lips were not moving, at least not much. There was a little quiver of his bottom lip that also caused his cheeks to quiver a bit. As he stood there next to the car, pounding a hole in his mitt, I asked him, "What's up, Steve?" He looked me in the eye, and said, "I need a new glove."

I was relieved, even though he wasn't. I told him that we would go out and buy a new glove for him. He turned and walked back to the field to play ball. That summer was a difficult year for Steve, but one he could build the rest of his life on. You see, Steve chose to bite the bullet that day and take on the challenge, even though it was totally out of his comfort zone - even though he was scared - he made a decision, walked back toward the field and played ball.

I believe that was a kairos moment for Steve, a moment that changed things that impacted his future. Steve went on to become a pretty good baseball player. But, more importantly, Steve went on to become a real man of character, a man of God, an outstanding churchplanter, husband, and dad. I was proud of my son that day as he chose to rise above the challenge of the unknown. I am even more proud of my son today. Steve has demonstrated time and again that same level of commitment and do what he knows is right and best. It's part of who he is.

How many of us look at the challenges ahead of us, and try everything in our power to bale out, and then "pound our fist into the glove", turn and walk back into the fray one more time? I know that I learned something from my 11 year old son that day - a lesson I'll never forget. Stay with it!
"I need a new glove"
DpD