Tray and I both graduated from Texas A&M and we believe all things good happen in Aggieland. After all, we did meet, fall in love and marry there.
And like most Aggies, we began the brainwashing early and often. This was going along nicely until a certain football player came on the scene and captured my oldest's attention... that player was Colt McCoy. Of all the dern teams he had to play for... Seriously? And so began JT's 4 year period of wearing that dreaded color, burnt orange.
We might have outwardly been incredulous that he like the Longhorns... but inside, we knew Colt McCoy and Jordan Shipley loved the Lord and would use their sports platforms as much as they could. And they did, on national TV. Oh yes, they did.
Brad McCoy, Colt's father, gave the public a glimpse into one of the greatest secrets of parenting their children... He and his wife prepared their children for the path they would walk, they did not prepare the path for their children.
That one sentence has resonated with us ever since we heard it. We are firm believers in teaching and training our kiddos about all the aspects of life that will be thrown their way. That choices you make carry responsibility and consequences. The good and the not so fabulous. That's reality, like it or not. And we have a greater desire to instill in our boys that integrity plays a tremendous role when working toward a goal and just plain doing life on a daily basis.
So when JT came to us and told us he'd decided to take a break from baseball this Spring, we were given a great opportunity to live out the very things we had spoken before. Would we trust him to make a decision and then deal with the consequences that might come? Or do what we thought was best for him?
You see, this is our kid that LOVES baseball. We jokingly call him a retriever because he will catch anything you throw at him and begs his dad to throw him endless pop flies in our cul-de-sac or on the field. He is never without a ball and glove in his hand. Are you following me? But after several conversations, we all came to the decision that if he felt that strongly about it, a break he would take.
Can I just tell you it has been the biggest blessing? By taking a break, it has allowed margin to do things he would have missed. He is playing 7 on 7 football with a bunch of his buddies and having an absolute blast. He and Weston attended 2 FCA Motocross Camps and he ran his first 5K. And one of the most obvious changes? They both have been able to just be kids in the cul-de-sac in the afternoons with the neighbor kids. Awesome, awesome stuff.
Has he left baseball forever? Nope. He intends to jump right back in and play next Spring and knows he'll spend this fall preparing in the off-season. But these last few months have taught a 10 year old boy to trust his gut on something and trust an even bigger God that He does have great plans for Him..because His thumbprints are all over his life.
Each decision we make is a part of the race God has planned for us. I pray we make the choice to run the race He has planned for us, not anyone else. Because even though the race might look different than we planned, it's the one He has created just for you and me.
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