Lessons from the Left Field Wall

I recently took my first trip to Chicago with some friends. This was not a work-related trip, not a day of sightseeing sandwiched between a conference or meetings. This was my first sure enough, bona fide vacation this year, and I enjoyed it whole-heartedly.

Being a huge sports fan, I particularly relished our visits to Wrigley Field, home of the Cubs. We first went to the stadium on Saturday afternoon, where we took the behind the scenes tour, then returned on Monday for a baseball game.

Eager to soak up the atmosphere, we arrived at the stadium just before they opened the gates, which was two hours prior to the game time. After locating our seats, a couple of friends and I ventured down to the left field wall to capture some photographs of the pitchers warming up. Dozens of other people had the same idea, and the wall was crowded with cameras and autograph seekers.

After maneuvering my way down to the first row at the wall, I found myself standing next to a boy of about eight years of age and his father. The father was holding a notebook and patiently keeping a close eye on the players who were pitching and fielding balls. His son, on the other hand, was anything but patient. I quickly summed up (despite my lack of formal training in sociology) that this kid was a brat.

Every word out of the boy’s mouth had a whiny pitch to it. And he had a lot to say. “I’m tired.” “I’m hungry.” “Why are we standing here?” “Why don’t we find our seats already?” “I’m sick of this!”

Meanwhile, the father, who must have been in the running for sainthood, kept gently answering his son. “I know you’re tired, son, but wait just a few more minutes.”

What the boy didn’t realize was that his father had a purpose for standing there at the wall, a purpose greater than stretching his legs. He wanted to get his son an autograph from a real Major League baseball player. This could be something that his son would cherish for years, perhaps show to his own children someday.

Kid, if only you knew that your dad was trying to do something special for you, then you’d shut up and wait quietly, I thought to myself.

Like a kick in the gut, I felt God nudge me. How many times do I get impatient with my Heavenly Father, turn into a major brat because I can’t see what He has in store for me? So many times I’m willing to give up waiting on God, to find a seat and rest my tired legs and forego the surprise that God is working on for me.

There have been times in my life when I felt like God wasn’t making any sense or giving me any direction. There have been times when I’ve questioned Him, when I’ve whined to Him because I didn’t understand what He had in store for me. And there have been times when it seemed like God DIDN’T have anything in store for me. But that was not the case.

Jeremiah 29:11 says, “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”

I’ve read and re-read this verse many, many times throughout the years, particularly when I am going through one of those waiting spells that don’t seem to make sense to me. I need that reminder. Having life to the full is not only about God taking care of the here and now, but also realizing that God is concerned about and planning an abundant future for me as well.

What amazing grace!

Lisa