The Dugout

The dugout. Every baseball player spends half or more of his time there. When I was 12 years old, I spent the least amount of time possible there. I was the starting third baseman for the Myers Food Rite Majors team.

I was always a good fielder, but my lack of hitting caught up with me in teener baseball. Let's just say I saw and felt the bench in the dugout siginifcantly more than half the time. I think it may also have had something to do with the fact that I was assigned the same position as the coach's son...hmmmmm.

I didn't have a growth spurt until after I was 16, so I ended up having a similar bench experience, minus the coach's son, in 8th and 9th grade basketball. Some would say being 5'2" is a slight disadvantage in a sport for tall people. I would have to agree, especially when your leaping ability cannot be compared to Superman. No single bounds over tall buildings for me. It ain't gonna happen!

So since I have significant bench experience (every now and then I still find a splinter from 1979), I think I am qualified to pass on one lesson I learned on the pine. Here it is.

Every player on the team is important, no matter what position he or she plays and no matter if they are on the field or in the dugout.

In my playing days, I spent too much time complaining about not playing enough and not enough time encouraging my teammates. Looking back, I probably would have gotten more playing time if I had stayed more positive, but somehow I thought that baseball was all about me. It was as if I thought the game wasn't worth playing unless I was on the field.

Some people seem to have the same perspective about church. They want "the game" to be "played" their way and if it's not, they go find another "team". But I have found that if you start encouraging others on your team and start focusing on what your team is doing right, you will complain less and even end up becoming a MVCM, Most Valuable Church Member. Those that sit on the bench (read pew or folding chair or padded chair, whichever your church has) and complain about those in the game, hurt Jesus' team. But those that choose to look past the faults and weaknesses of the team (since every team/church has those) end up getting involved in a way that makes the team and themselves stronger.

Don't be a dugout complainer. Remember that your team needs you. Every bench sitter out there may have to wait for the coach's word to get in a baseball or basketball game, but bench sitters in Christ's church are only there because they choose to be. Christ's church is the most important cause in the world and every follower needs to choose to get in the game by serving with the gifts and talents and passions God gave them. It's how you show you have authentic trust in Christ. You can start serving right where you are by meeting the needs of people around you. Go ahead and get in the game. Jesus can make you an All-Star and you'll discover that giving and serving are the keys to a fulfilling life.