Step, Swing, Squish

"Step, Swing, Squish!"

This is the phrase I repeatedly tell my son before hitting whiffle balls in our back yard, practice balls off the tee, or baseballs in a game.

No, I'm not an MLB scout or the hitting coach for a travel ball team. I'm just a dad who hopes his sticky statement for hitting a baseball works.

So, what's with this silly phrase, you ask? It's a reminder that hitting the ball is not about aimlessly swinging as hard as you can to hit a ball in motion; rather, it's a combination of timing and technique.

Obviously any expert or even an amateur who's spent 10 minutes watching YouTube could critique my hitting lesson with ease. But the point I'm trying to make for my seven year old son is it's more than meets the eye; it's more than just swinging the bat.

Hitting practice balls off a tee is monotonous. Boring. Not much fun. But there's something beneath the surface that's being developed with every proper swing. And the discipline to keep swinging and refusing to lose focus is creating an incredible potential that will not be realized until the game is on the line.

Littering the yard with a bucket full of whiffle balls is fun but it doesn't produce any kind of measurable results for winning a game. So we have to be creative. Alternate sides of the field where the ball must land. Run the bases on every third swing. Get your granddad out here in the yard and chase you around the bases. Make it fun.

But baseball is a just few hours a week for several months out of the year. Remember, my son's only seven. We're not professionals. He's not being paid to play. In fact, we're shelling out pennies from our pockets this season.

So, what do we do with all those other hours, days, and months? We step, swing, and squish.

My son is more than a ball player. He's a scientist who loves to investigate and experiment. He's an artist who loves to be creative and use his imagination. He's a friend who loves conversations and making memories with others. He's my son, watching and imitating what his daddy is doing!

Stepping means we aren't standing still. Faith is an important part of our lives and we want to see each day as an opportunity to grow by taking steps of faith. Swinging means we will take risks. We won't be paralyzed by fear. Squishing means that we will drown out negativity and evil, and choose to lean in to opportunities to encourage one another.

My goal as a parent is to teach my son the fundamental truths of living a life of faith. No, I'm not perfect. No, I don't have it all figured out. No, I won't get it right every single time. In fact, my batting average as a parent is no doubt less than stellar. But we will keep stepping, swinging, squishing!

We will keep leaning in to hear the voice of our Creator, who is marking out a path toward a life of faith and righteousness. We will keep taking risks we believe He's calling us to take knowing that He will not abandon or fail us. We will keep drowning out the world's schemes to distract us from being who we are in Him. Our confidence will come from the identity that He's placed on us as His children. We will win! In fact, we have already won!