Well Done!

Sitting in my camp chair, I peered through the chain link fence at the local ball park. It was opening day baseball for my 10 year old son.

The boys ran off the field at the bottom of the fifth inning. They were down by one point, with a score of 2 to 1. As they trotted across the field, the coaches bolted out of the dugout, palms held out for “high-fives” and voices booming words of motivation and encouragement.

“Great job! Way to go! Nice play! You guys are doing a great job! Nice catch! Nice throw! I liked the way you kept your eye on the ball. I am proud of you! Well done!”

Not a boy was missed with a pat on the shoulder in the customary “Atta boy” fashion, a “high five” or a word of encouragement. It was evident that each player was appreciated and valued.

I wanted to cry. I did cry.

You see, it didn’t matter if a boy caught a ball, missed a ball or bobbled a ball. It didn’t even matter if the ball ever came close enough for a boy to have a chance to put it in to play. All that mattered was that they were all out there, trying their very best with the gifts they possessed, in the position that they played. It did not matter whether they were the pitcher, the catcher, an infielder or an outfielder. One boy did not get more attention over the other. They were a team, and together as a team, they were celebrated and encouraged, regardless of what happened on the field, or whether they won or lost.

I kept on thinking of the verse “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21) as I watched the coaches greeting each player. It is interesting to me that God does not say, “Well done, good and productive, accomplished, and successful servant.” He says, “… faithful servant.”

God gives each of us different personalities and different gifting. He places us in different positions on the field. Some of us are infielders; some of us outfielders. Some of us are better at throwing, and othersare better at catching. Some of us cover a small area, and others are called to cover a larger territory, like an outfielder. God puts us where He knows that we will best serve, and all He asks of us is that we are faithful.

Faithful. That is what I desire to be -- whether it is at home, in the community, in my church, or on the other side of the world. I want to be faithful in little things and in big things. I want to be faithful, regardless of the weather of my circumstances. I want to be faithful with how God created me and the gifts that He has given me. I want to be faithful to Him.

And someday, as I run off the field (knowing that I have sometimes played well and other times not), I hope that I hear the voice of God say, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Dear Lord, I know that I can be discontent. I am not always confident that You are using me as part of the team that You put together for Your good and for Your glory. Help me and my dear readers who may struggle in this way, to keep our eyes focused on You, the ultimate Coach. Help us to hear Your voice, follow Your leading, and play by Your rules. Help us to love and serve and be faithful with the game that You are asking us to play in. Thank You for giving us the strength and understanding to know how to play. Help us not to despair when the scoreboard says that we are down by 1 or down by 10, but help us to rest assured that you already won the victory and it is for us to be – faithful. Amen.