I was fortunate to leave the La Tech First Pitch Baseball Banquet with a batting helmet that will eventually make its way to my grandson! Yes, I tried it on at the table! It has been over 40 years since I had a batting helmet on.
As I listened to Coach Burroughs talk about a goal of making it to the College World Series, I thought back to the first CWS I saw on TV years ago.
I was going into my sophomore year in high school. The University of Texas was in the series and had a shortstop named Spike Owen. He was awesome! I watched him play and started to imitate him in many respects. I sprinted on and off the field. I started to “not” fasten my batting gloves but let them flop open at the wrist. I carried my bat by the barrel to the batter’s box!
It was nothing major, but I continued to do those things all the way through high school and American Legion ball.
When my playing days were over, I worked as a pitcher/umpire in the local Minden coach pitch league at night. While I was busy pitching for both teams and umpiring all the calls during the games, I couldn’t help but notice some interesting dynamics. I saw several little guys with batting gloves flopped open carrying their little bats by the barrel.
After that first night of games, several moms came over and told me their sons had watched me throughout high school doing these things and wanted to do them too. Now, I wasn’t the best player on my team by any means nor ever thought any kid was paying any attention to me, but some were.
In 1 Corinthians 11:1, Paul tells his readers to be imitators of me, as I am of Christ! That’s a huge statement and one filled with an incredibly high standard! Paul was very clear on the standard, and it was not the standard of popular opinion or convenience.
How a little guy wears his batting gloves isn’t that big a deal. However, there are other things that are big deals! Conversations matter. How we treat and respond to others matters. Honesty is a big deal. I could go on and on!
The question I ask myself: Am I living a life today that’s worth imitating? In other words, if someone was to observe my conversations, the way I interact with others, or the way I conduct myself in various situations, would I want them to imitate those actions? Would I be proud of seeing others follow my example? Would I want my children or grandchildren to model those behaviors?
Maybe that’s a question that we should all ask ourselves. Are we living a life worth imitating? If not, what needs to change?
Just like that high school baseball player years ago, you may not realize it, but someone is watching. You never know who you may be impacting.
Make the most of life and live one worth imitating.
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