Tag: teamwork

Batting Averages

It’s Baseball season, and one of the statistics that many people follow is the batting average. The batting average is the number of hits achieved over the number of times “at bat.” So, if a batter hits the ball once over the course of three times “at bat” during a typical game, he is batting at 33% or .333. Batting averages may fluctuate during the season. A typical batting average is around .250, or one hit for every four times at bat. That means the average player fails to get a fair hit 75% of the time! A really great hitter may reach a temporary batting average of .500! That means he is still failing at half of his attempts.

I don’t like to fail. I don’t like the feeling that my first efforts are sometimes just not good enough to succeed. But often my first efforts are not my best efforts. And it is better for me to fail and to learn, than to have easy success and grow proud and complacent. Failure means that I still have something to learn; I still have room for improvement; and I still need “coaching.” I can’t have success on my own.

I have a “prayer batting average.” And to outward appearances, my “average” is pretty low. For each time I pray, I may get a “hit”– an instant, positive, definitive answer– for one of ten or so of my many requests. That’s just the way it goes. I may pray for six people to be healed or have their health restored; two people to resolve relationship issues; one person to get a job or find a better apartment; and three lost souls to be saved. God will not immediately grant all those requests. That’s not because I am a failure at praying, however. Prayer is not a “magic bullet.” Prayer is a dialogue with God. When I pray over a long period of time for a certain outcome, God may be working to change the situation in His own way and in His own time. And He may also be working to change MY perspective or outlook on a particular situation.

Like the baseball player who practices his swing, I pursue prayer with a goal of becoming better at it–better at understanding how it works, and why it is so important to a closer relationship with God. My goal is not to have God automatically answer prayer “my way.” Rather, it is to understand how God is working in, and through, and around the situations I can see. In His wisdom, He works in ways I cannot see to accomplish His perfect will.

And as I continue to pursue prayer, God allows me to participate in that perfect will– even when my “batting average” seems low or inefficient. Life is filled with “fast balls” and “wild pitches.” I must learn when to swing, how to swing, and how to work as a “team player” in the Kingdom.

So today, let’s not get discouraged if our prayers don’t seem to be “hits.” Our job is not to be perfect– our job is to pursue fellowship with the One who IS!

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“Bathed” in Prayer

We were reviewing last week’s VBS at our church–sharing stories, “crunching” numbers, evaluating the various elements that made up each day… One of the phrases that came out of our various talks and meetings was that Bible School week had been “bathed in prayer.” What does that actually mean?

For me, it represents how prayer surrounded us– much like bath water.

  • It covered every part of our efforts– we prayed for the children who were registered– and those who came unexpectedly as guests. We prayed for the families of the children–those from our church, those from neighboring churches, and those who are unchurched. We prayed for all the volunteers– teens, adults, those who where there each day of VBS, and those who helped before and after with decorations, building, providing supplies and funding, advertising, etc. We prayed for each team– teaching, drama, singing, videography, sound and lights, registration, group leaders, science and crafts, snacks, sports and games, record-keeping, security, and more! We prayed weeks before VBS, and we are still praying that the seeds planted last week will grow and produce a harvest!
  • It flowed freely. We had organized prayer meetings, and spontaneous outbursts of prayer. We prayed in the “opportune moment” and in the planned schedule. Prayer was a consistent part of each day, but came in random bursts, as well. It came from staff, from volunteers, from children and retirees. Everyone can’t work at VBS– but everyone can pray!
  • It “cleansed” our efforts. It is easy to get side-tracked with the chaos and fol-de-rol of an event like Bible School. It is easy to lose focus and let stress, frustration, and even bitterness worm their way into our efforts. On the very first day, our registration and check-in system crashed– and this could have been a disaster. But we had prayed before; we prayed during our confusion, and we praised God that, system or no, HE knew who was there, where they should go, and how we should respond to THEM. We are in the middle of a construction project in our children’s wing– we had to plan around fewer classrooms available, and less indoor space. On the hottest week of the summer (so far) we had to hope that the weather would cooperate for our games. God provided cloud cover on at least two of the mornings, and overnight showers– we did not have to deal with heavy rains or the worst heat of the day on any of our days! And (at least partly) because we had prayed in advance, we were grateful instead of stressful about our circumstances, marveling at God’s provision.
  • Praying brings peace– like the clean and relaxed feeling you have after a good soak in the bath! And I hope that peace was reflected in the way we welcomed each child each day– in the way we listened, and in the way we spoke; in the way we encouraged, and in the way we taught; in the way we interacted with the children, and with the other volunteers.

We tend to “bathe” our “big concerns” in prayer. But what about our “little things?” What if we spent as much time praying about our next doctor appointment? Our next church service? Our next family outing?

We NEED prayer! Our efforts, without prayer, humility, and submission to the Spirit of the Lord, will be fruitless. With prayer, our lives, efforts, and plans will be clean, and bring Glory to God!

Just a thought– but if we bathed more things in prayer, we might just receive more “showers of blessing!”

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Prayer in the “Off-Season”

World Cup fever is at a high this week.  England was stunned by Croatia in the semi-finals–Croatia will face France in the finals on Sunday.  Teams have played hard all season to make it to the World Cup– most of them will go home disappointed (at least a little).  Fans will have to wait until next season to see their favorite team make another attempt at winning it all.

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In the meantime, the players will be in the “off-season.”  Some will take well-earned vacations, and spend more time with their families.  Some will spend time with doctors and physical therapists to work on injuries sustained during the regular season.  Some will be working with coaches and trainers to develop in areas where they feel they need extra help.  Others will cut back on their training schedule.  Still others will spend time with agents trying to get traded to another team (or avoid being traded to another team).

man jumping above gray concrete surface under blue sky at daytime
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People who study sports often say that what happens in the “off-season” can be as important to players and teams as what happens during the intense training of the regular season.  Habits form, attitudes develop, team chemistry alters– any or all of these factors can change for better or for worse.

corner field football field game
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The same is true in our prayer lives.  When we are facing struggles or heartaches, we pray with intensity and passion.  But when things are going smoothly, sometimes we let our prayer lives “take a break.”  We pray with less frequency, less intensity, and less focus.  I’m guilty of this; even though I know it can happen, bad habits creep in, and suddenly, my prayer life is haphazard and lackluster.  Using a journal helps, in that I have a focus for each day already written in, and a place to write in new requests, and even answers.

However, a major part of staying on course is to commit to the discipline of prayer.  “Discipline” sounds boring and constrained–something I do out of obligation and not out of love.  But that’s not true of all discipline.  Athletes are disciplined– because they love their sport, and they want to develop and play at the best of their ability.  Musicians are disciplined– because they love music, and they want to develop their art.  Professional athletes and musicians often have a contractual commitment to stay in practice and develop their talents.  When athletes are part of a team, or musicians are part of a band, orchestra, or chamber group, they have an additional reason to be disciplined– to play more effectively with others.

adult art band blur
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In my personal life, there are disciplines– hygiene, sleep habits, diet, and exercise, that I practice, not because I love saying, “NO” to that piece of chocolate cake or walking that extra mile, but because I want to stay healthy, clean, and active.  Prayer is no different– except that it is for my spiritual health– and it is part of my relationship with God.

Instead of slacking off during the “off-season”, many athletes and musicians will use this time to step back and look at what they have learned, what they would like to do better, and how they can develop their skills.  I think this offers a great opportunity in prayer, as well.  After a season of grief, struggle, doubt, or testing, it is good to take some time to make some assessments.  Sometimes we don’t know all the reasons for the times of testing or trial we have just faced.  But that doesn’t mean that we can’t look back and see whether we have grown, or if we need to make some adjustments, or if we have developed new habits or skills (good or bad).  It is a good time to “count our blessings”, “pray without ceasing”, “ask, seek, and knock”, and look at the ways God has been faithful (and hopefully ways that we have been faithful!) over the years.

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Some of us are in the struggle of a busy, harsh, or painful season.  Let’s not let that struggle go to waste.  Some of us will be facing trials next week, or next month–spending time training in the “off-season” will make us stronger for the fight!  And the best news– we already know the outcome!  Let’s pray harder– pray stronger–and go for the win!

action activity adult athletes
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