Wednesday, June 3, 2015

How To Really Be In The Winners Circle....


Living From Glory To Glory Blog

~Lets, play ball, Lets all get in the game, it's not all about just winning~


Two Choices

What would you do? You make the choice.

At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities,
 The father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by
 All who attended
 After extolling the school and its Dedicated staff, he offered a question:

When not interfered with by outside influences,
 Everything in nature is done with perfection.

Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do
 He cannot understand things as other children do.

Where is the natural order of things in my son?'

The audience was stilled by the query.

The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.

Then he told the following story:

Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps.

I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play.
 The boy looked around for guidance and said,
 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning..'

Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt..
 I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart.
 The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three.

At the top of the ninth inning, 
Shay put on a glove and played in the right field.
 Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands.

In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again.

Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat.

At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game?

Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball.

However, as Shay stepped up to the plate,

 The pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, He moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact.

The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed.

The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay.

As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher.

The game would now be over.

The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman.

Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game.

Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates.

Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first!

Run to first!'

Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base.

He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled.

Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!'

Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second,
 Gleaming and struggling to make it to the base.

By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball. The smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team.

He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head.

Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home.

All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay'

Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third!

Shay, run to third!'

As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!'

Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team

'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world'.

Shay didn't make it to another summer.
 He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy,
 And coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day!

We are all righting little stories that can bring an impact...
A long life is what we hope for, but a life filled with moments
Of real life situations that is what really changes us and the world we live in!

Do you care more about just winning?
Do you just care about always being right?

Sometimes, someone might just have that one day left;
Will we find ourselves helping them make it a good one?
You make the choice...


"Do You really want to hear
  Your Out?"
Living from Glory To Glory Blog


9 comments:

  1. This was incredible! Thank you.

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  2. A very beautiful reminder and a heartwarming story. As you know, my sister had a son who only lived to be 3 1/2. He had many challenges and did not learn to crawl, walk, talk but for each thing that he did learn, we were ever so grateful. I remember we kept clapping for him and one day, he clapped his tiny hands in return! It was the grandest accomplishment.

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  3. The beauty and love in this story had me in tears with a smile on my face.

    Thank you ~ FlowerLady

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  4. Well, now I am bawling like a baby. What a wonderful, wonderful story of the innate goodness of one child to another. xo Diana

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  5. This one just made me cry and cry. Thanks Rox, wonderful post.
    Miss ya,
    Pam

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  6. The warm fireplaceJune 5, 2015 at 1:11 AM

    Thank you for this wonderful story, my husbands brother was Downs and my children always had showed such patience and kindness to him, letting him join in with him chatting and treating him as they would another, i pray that all can show such kindness to others. Sue

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  7. What a wonderful story of love and grace. God bless the children that showed mercy to another, and helped fulfill a dream.
    LOVE this post Roxy.
    Debbie
    xo

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  8. Roxy,
    Reading this post of yours required tissues. What a wonderful, heartwarming story! Thank you!
    xo
    Linda
    mysewwhatblog

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  9. I have heard this story before, but it never fails to move me to tears. So sweet.

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I really appreciate your comments! May they be kind and helpful to encourage my walk, and bless others as they read them. Thank-you!