A Learning Experience

I had a learning experience today that I didn't anticipate to arise so early on with one of my children...but I guess times are changing in the world of young atheletes!
First of all, Charlie and I would have never taken Braedyn to tryout for a competitive travel baseball team if we didn't think he could make the team.  He asked if he could and we agreed and also had the conversation with him about not making it that we would be okay with whatever outcome. He is a good little ball player and he puts his heart into it. He's just not as big as some of the other kids and unfortunately that may always be the case but I will say he's definitely the fastest! Being little has some advantages!!! Mom can relate to that! He's also got the determination! The Jacobson's don't give up so easily! After tryouts yesterday, the coach told them all they did very good and he had a difficult decision to make as he had to make a cut from 24 to 10 and said he would call the parents that night. Well, he got busy and it never happened. Of course, Braedyn was hanging on every last hour. Have they called yet he kept asking... he wouldn't go to sleep. Finally about 10:00 I told him I didn't think they would call and maybe he got busy so go to sleep!  He did a good job at both tryout sessions but there were a lot of good little ball players that showed up. I am not quite sure what the reasoning was of picking 10 but they ended up picking 11 players. I would think they would need a couple extras since kids get hurt or this is flu season with back to school sicknesses and some have vacations, etc.  It's hard enough to even keep them focused that long!
I got the email this morning. I started scrolling down slowly and as I inched closer to the end of the list still not seeing Braedyn's name my heart kind of sank, I had a knot in my stomach and tears welled up in my eyes. Charlie is gone in Japan on a business trip. I think it may had been better if dad was here to deliver the news. Mom is kind of a softy and I cry very easily when I get emotional. I think Braedyn must have gotten that from me...I knew it was going to be the first thing he would ask me when he woke up. As I sat there, I was getting more and more upset. I was thinking how can you assess that many kids in a two hour period and that's all you know of them...welcome to competition and with that~ a little politics (but I am not going to go into that but that exists everywhere)....only at 8 years old.  Guess that's how it works. I pulled myself back together and grabbed my POT of coffee.
As I walked out of the office Braedyn was up. He looked at me and I think he just knew. My eyes could tell the story as I looked at him and my tears started to well up again and he asked, "I didn't make the team did I mom."  I replied "I am sorry honey, are you going to be okay with that." Then he responded with a disappointed look on his face, "I kinda thought I wouldn't make it because I was littler than everyone else." I was holding the tears back again as I explained to him, it wasn't because you were littler there were also kids there that were littler than him and there was nothing he did or didn't do it just didn't work out this time and I was proud of him for just going out there and trying. You did your best and that's all you can do. He seemed to be more at ease with it than I was. I think it was harder on me and Charlie than it was on Braedyn. You don't like to hear as a parent your child didn't make it or they weren't good enough for someone else. Too me he will always be the best and good enough or even better at whatever he chooses to do and part of that is because of his attitude! The one thing through the whole day that I won't forget seeing that Sunday afternoon is when he was running the bases as they were timing all the kids. He was the only one that ran from home to first with a smile on his face from ear to ear. He was having fun and you know what~ that's what baseball is supposed to be about especially at 8 years old! It's easy to get caught up in it all and you want your child to succeed but maybe you should ask your child if its really what they want. He just wants to play baseball and have fun! So that's what he is going to do for now!
God had his little plan all worked out but we have to have experiences like this to bring us back to what is most important and today we may have been disappointed but then around the corner came another ray of hope. He knows best! Everything will be okay! It will be okay because I believe in him and the power of his love.
Many times in my life I have used a Garth Brooks song to explain things:)! Imagine that~a song!
Sometimes I thank God for unanswered prayers
Remember when you're talkin' to the man upstairs
That just because he doesn't answer doesn't mean he don't care
Some of God's greatest gifts are unanswered prayers
It was also a reminder to me ~ they have plenty of times they will be trying out for things ~lets not rush it, they are only a kid for a short time already. Let's try to enjoy it!

Psalm 28:7 made me think of my day as he heard my cries for help today....
The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and he helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise him
Today I had to rely on him for my strength and also to shield me from the bitterness and anger and to trust in him that everything would be okay. I did that and my heart did leap for joy and I praised him in the end for he got me through this day!