It might sound a bit ridiculous that I taught my first basemen "the dance". Allow me to explain. In little league and in youth baseball programs, the first baseman was the slow or heavyset kid who could hit enough that he needed to be in the lineup. He did what his coach expected by running to the bag and planting his throwing side foot on the first base bag. All was fine as long as the throw from the infield was within the box to which he could easily reach. When a throw was a little errant, he could easily get all tied up resulting in a ball getting by and a runner standing on second. Often, the fielder who made the throw would get scolded a little rather than the first baseman even when it was not that bad a throw! The first baseman "dance" saves a lot of outs and extra bases!
Coaching points for first base position:
1) Day one, teach footwork! Have your first baseman stand with his left heel a few inches off the bag on the home plate side and the right heel a few inches off the bag on the second base side. The player should now be positioned with the inside corner of the bag between his heels. This should be his "get to" point on every ground ball. Demand that he stand in a solid, ready position giving a good target to the infielder making the throw. Never stretch before the ball is thrown! Now demonstrate how to move the feet to the bag if the throw requires a stretch to the left ( drop right foot to bag and step left to stretch), a stretch forward ( touch bag with throwing side foot and stretch glove arm), and a stretch to the right (drop right heel to bag and cross over left foot to stretch). Generally it is natural for the player to touch the base with his throwing side foot, but some throws require a simple shift, not a full stretch. In other words, the cross over full stretch is not needed on every throw away from glove hand, so, the first baseman can simply touch the bag with his glove side foot for a short stretch. This is "the dance" that I wanted my first basemen to use. Start simple with them. At the "get to" position, just underhand them some throws having them move their feet. Next have them move to the "get to" position from their fielding position then a throw. They will catch on fast to the footwork and will see a great improvement in the ability to stretch smoothly in any direction.
2) Establish the semicircle! Have your first baseman take a full stretch down the first base line and mark the ground with his glove, then repeating, have him take stretches to the right until he reaches the right field line. This semicircle forms the cylinder for his reach and you must insist that any throw crossing the semicircle line on the ground be caught! This will eliminate a player trying to play a short hop on a throw that could have been caught in the air.
3) The feet positions for holding the runner should be about mid- bag on the inside. Anything comfortable that does not tie up movement if a throw comes from the pitcher, and, allows the first baseman to take a step, then a bounce to get to a good defensive position as the ball goes to the plate. Teach a downward sweep type tag.
4) Work your first basemen on making a throw to a pitcher covering first base. He should field the ball and tag the base himself whenever possible. If he has to throw to the pitcher, have him make a short step toward the running pitcher and deliver the ball underhanded with sternness to the pitcher's chest, preferably well before the pitcher reaches first to tag. Also work them on making overhand throws to the running pitcher when the distance between them is to great for the underhand throw.
5) Without scaring them to death, teach your first basemen to take charge with a runners in scoring position. Explain that the team is counting on them to make the first call as to what bag to throw to on cut offs from the outfield. Standard cut off position is roughly two thirds of the way between the base line and home plate. The catcher should help line him up if necessary. Holding up both arms like goal posts gives the thrower a good target. If the throw is far away from this target on either side, the first baseman should cut it off, listening to the catcher as to where to throw. Sometimes on a good throw the first baseman can fake cutting off to hold a runner. He should be the cutoff man on the infield on all balls fielded from the left field gap to the right field line. On a base hit to direct left field, the third baseman is the cutoff.
These are just 5 of the many coaching points dealing with the position of first base...there are pick off plays, how to play behind a runner, throwing to second base to initiate a double play, checking runners touching bags, and on, and on. You can see that a first baseman needs to be a heady, dependable player. I hope this will help some young coach somewhere. Teach 'em the dance!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Saturday, November 5, 2016
Wax Lips and Candy Cigarettes
At the tender age of five I attended my first Halloween carnival at the little country school. Weeks earlier, my first grade teacher, Mrs Harmon, explained to us that my class would be competing against the second, third, and fourth grade classes to see which class could raise the most money for the school. Each class was to select a boy and a girl to represent them in a pageant on carnival night for the titles of "Prince" and "Princess". Representatives of the class that raised the most money were to be crowned. For junior high the titles were "Duke" and "Duchess" and for high school "King" and "Queen".
In those days you could buy two bottles of chocolate (or white) milk for a nickel. The milk came in small glass bottles with a paper tab-like lid..I still remember how good they were. This would be about the only spending money most of us had and that wasn't every day! Many times I shared a bottle with a buddy or they with me, but, during the Halloween season our milk money was spent on things like wax lips and candy cigarettes. Our teachers would order boxes of novelty candies for us to buy and sell before, during, and after school. At a penny each, we thought we were really getting a bargain. Made of red wax, the lips would be worn by each kid for a while, then chewed like gum until all sweetness was gone. How cool did we look with a candy cigarette sticking out of our mouths...just like dad! As the days passed by leading up to the carnival, we hawked all sorts of penny candies, home made brownies and rice crispy treats, grab bags, and of course, raffle tickets on some super-wonderful prize that would be drawn for and given away that night. It was very exciting for us to compete with the other grades and we were so proud of the amount of money that we had worked so hard to raise. Would it be enough for our class to win?
Finally the night of the carnival arrived. The little school that housed grades one through twelve would be jam packed with a mass of humanity. Everyone in our school community would be there along with many visitors from surrounding schools and the small towns. In every room, desks and tables would be moved and stacked in one corner in order to make room for the class's booth. Doors and windows were decorated and the rooms were transformed into haunted houses or game rooms. Prizes and confections had been provided and collected during the week prior to the carnival and word always got out as to which class had the best prizes to give away. In the latter years, a dunking booth would be set up on the school yard. This was always a big draw as all the kids wanted the pleasure of dunking their principal, their teacher, or their coach. Yep!...this ol coach put in his time!
After taking their children around to see what each class was doing with their rooms, the adults would drift to the school's auditorium to sit and visit with each other or to participate in the PTA cake walk held on the stage. Mr. Dale would always command the only microphone and he would give the name of the lady who baked the cake while holding it up for all to see. After the allotted time, cakes that had not been won in the cake walk would be simply auctioned off. Mr Dale could make one of those cakes sound so scrumptious that people just had to buy it whether they wanted it or not!
Once the allotted time was up, the rooms were closed and all money was counted. While this took place, all the raffle items were drawn for in the auditorium. Sometimes a local country band would perform a few songs to fill in time or the people would simply sit and wait. There was no hurry. People enjoyed each other's company.
Once the money was counted, the candidates for Prince and Princess took the stage. It was not uncommon for the "Princess" of the couple to be head and shoulders taller than her "Prince", but, it didn't matter for they were dressed with the finest little suits and dresses of the day reminiscent of the band performance in "The Music Man". Parents were so proud of their prince or princess. The height problem could easily be solved during the picture taking session with a box for the shorter Prince to stand upon.
I don't remember my class winning until we were seniors in high school (seniors always had an advantage it seems). Other classes ahead or behind us had superior numbers and therefore had more avenues to raise money (that's my story and I'm stickin to it!). The amounts of money raised for the school varied from year to year until the last carnival before the school was consolidated. Somewhere around $12,000 was raised at the final carnival as I recall. This was a tremendous amount for a small rural school with an enrollment around 250 students grades 1-12.
I attended the carnivals as a student and helped put them on as a teacher over a period of about 40 years. It was a grand time each year. Romances budded or wilted, pecking orders were established or changed, old friendships were renewed, children wore themselves out, and a great sense of pride filled the hearts of everyone involved. Ahhh....the memories of good times together!
In those days you could buy two bottles of chocolate (or white) milk for a nickel. The milk came in small glass bottles with a paper tab-like lid..I still remember how good they were. This would be about the only spending money most of us had and that wasn't every day! Many times I shared a bottle with a buddy or they with me, but, during the Halloween season our milk money was spent on things like wax lips and candy cigarettes. Our teachers would order boxes of novelty candies for us to buy and sell before, during, and after school. At a penny each, we thought we were really getting a bargain. Made of red wax, the lips would be worn by each kid for a while, then chewed like gum until all sweetness was gone. How cool did we look with a candy cigarette sticking out of our mouths...just like dad! As the days passed by leading up to the carnival, we hawked all sorts of penny candies, home made brownies and rice crispy treats, grab bags, and of course, raffle tickets on some super-wonderful prize that would be drawn for and given away that night. It was very exciting for us to compete with the other grades and we were so proud of the amount of money that we had worked so hard to raise. Would it be enough for our class to win?
Finally the night of the carnival arrived. The little school that housed grades one through twelve would be jam packed with a mass of humanity. Everyone in our school community would be there along with many visitors from surrounding schools and the small towns. In every room, desks and tables would be moved and stacked in one corner in order to make room for the class's booth. Doors and windows were decorated and the rooms were transformed into haunted houses or game rooms. Prizes and confections had been provided and collected during the week prior to the carnival and word always got out as to which class had the best prizes to give away. In the latter years, a dunking booth would be set up on the school yard. This was always a big draw as all the kids wanted the pleasure of dunking their principal, their teacher, or their coach. Yep!...this ol coach put in his time!
After taking their children around to see what each class was doing with their rooms, the adults would drift to the school's auditorium to sit and visit with each other or to participate in the PTA cake walk held on the stage. Mr. Dale would always command the only microphone and he would give the name of the lady who baked the cake while holding it up for all to see. After the allotted time, cakes that had not been won in the cake walk would be simply auctioned off. Mr Dale could make one of those cakes sound so scrumptious that people just had to buy it whether they wanted it or not!
Once the allotted time was up, the rooms were closed and all money was counted. While this took place, all the raffle items were drawn for in the auditorium. Sometimes a local country band would perform a few songs to fill in time or the people would simply sit and wait. There was no hurry. People enjoyed each other's company.
Once the money was counted, the candidates for Prince and Princess took the stage. It was not uncommon for the "Princess" of the couple to be head and shoulders taller than her "Prince", but, it didn't matter for they were dressed with the finest little suits and dresses of the day reminiscent of the band performance in "The Music Man". Parents were so proud of their prince or princess. The height problem could easily be solved during the picture taking session with a box for the shorter Prince to stand upon.
I don't remember my class winning until we were seniors in high school (seniors always had an advantage it seems). Other classes ahead or behind us had superior numbers and therefore had more avenues to raise money (that's my story and I'm stickin to it!). The amounts of money raised for the school varied from year to year until the last carnival before the school was consolidated. Somewhere around $12,000 was raised at the final carnival as I recall. This was a tremendous amount for a small rural school with an enrollment around 250 students grades 1-12.
I attended the carnivals as a student and helped put them on as a teacher over a period of about 40 years. It was a grand time each year. Romances budded or wilted, pecking orders were established or changed, old friendships were renewed, children wore themselves out, and a great sense of pride filled the hearts of everyone involved. Ahhh....the memories of good times together!
Monday, July 11, 2016
America?... Where are you?
I grew up in America, the United States. I still live in the place where we roamed the woods and fields freely, never worried about locking doors, learned Christian values and lived by them, and went to sleep each night feeling safe and secure. We made slingshots, bow and arrows, and learned to shoot and respect guns at an early age. We went to school and started each day with the pledge of allegiance and a short Christian devotional that ended with prayer. Teachers commanded and received respect from students just as parents did. There was no uproar when a student was disciplined, parents expected the school to make their children behave. We didn't have to worry about so called "gays" or " transgenders". If there were any, they kept it secret for they knew that if it got out, somebody would beat the tar out of them, not to injure them badly, just to "straighten " them out.
I lived through the turbulent times of the 1960's. America staggered a bit with all the civil unrest at the time, but, came out unified once again under the boundaries of common sense and decency. Then we were plunged into the Vietnam war by a presidential administration that could not give clear cut reason for it. Mistrust in our government and leadership began to appear. People began to dodge the draft by leaving the country or going to jail. Our brave soldiers fought the war without the full backing of the country. Many died and many were wounded taking a piece of land from the Viet Cong, only to walk off and leave it. People never understood this war, yet, men and women across the nation observed the draft and served valiantly out of love and respect for America. Still, most Americans believed and trusted that our president and lawmakers were working to make our country better and stronger.
Through the next fifty or so years we dealt with Presidential scandals, Middle East wars, and terror attacks. All the while, liberalists have slowly become "super" liberal, to the point that an entire generation of people now think that they are "entitled" to an affluent lifestyle without having to work a day in their lives. The ideals of the "American way" that were instilled in me mean nothing to the present generation of people. Many of our leaders are so liberal that they want to give the whole country away it seems.
America? Where are you? It seems that every day we wake up in a new country. The president gets away with ridiculous executive orders, liberal judges rule against the will of the people, and law enforcement gets crucified every time they do their duty. The idea that a person can lawfully enter a bathroom based on what they "feel" is their gender on a given day is beyond ludicrous! The idea that we should not restrict immigration from Islamic countries is downright foolish. The toleration of a presidential candidate who has been under FBI investigation is mind boggling.
America? Where are you? The "Black Lives Matter" protests are being sensationalized by the media to the point where individuals are purposefully getting arrested so that a buddy can film it and submit it to a tv network. Reporters go on and on about police brutality or misuse of deadly force directed toward persons of color and barely mention that the person injured or killed has a criminal record or is threatening the life of the officer. Do black lives matter?.....well....Duh! All human life matters to anyone with a shred of decency. It is almost a sure bet that a man who works for his living and lives a sober, law abiding life will never have a bad experience with an officer of the law.
I suppose I'm disgusted, disgruntled, or dis-something with the way America is changing. I hoped the country would be an even better place for my kids and grandkids than it was for me....doesn't look that good right now. America? Where are you?
I lived through the turbulent times of the 1960's. America staggered a bit with all the civil unrest at the time, but, came out unified once again under the boundaries of common sense and decency. Then we were plunged into the Vietnam war by a presidential administration that could not give clear cut reason for it. Mistrust in our government and leadership began to appear. People began to dodge the draft by leaving the country or going to jail. Our brave soldiers fought the war without the full backing of the country. Many died and many were wounded taking a piece of land from the Viet Cong, only to walk off and leave it. People never understood this war, yet, men and women across the nation observed the draft and served valiantly out of love and respect for America. Still, most Americans believed and trusted that our president and lawmakers were working to make our country better and stronger.
Through the next fifty or so years we dealt with Presidential scandals, Middle East wars, and terror attacks. All the while, liberalists have slowly become "super" liberal, to the point that an entire generation of people now think that they are "entitled" to an affluent lifestyle without having to work a day in their lives. The ideals of the "American way" that were instilled in me mean nothing to the present generation of people. Many of our leaders are so liberal that they want to give the whole country away it seems.
America? Where are you? It seems that every day we wake up in a new country. The president gets away with ridiculous executive orders, liberal judges rule against the will of the people, and law enforcement gets crucified every time they do their duty. The idea that a person can lawfully enter a bathroom based on what they "feel" is their gender on a given day is beyond ludicrous! The idea that we should not restrict immigration from Islamic countries is downright foolish. The toleration of a presidential candidate who has been under FBI investigation is mind boggling.
America? Where are you? The "Black Lives Matter" protests are being sensationalized by the media to the point where individuals are purposefully getting arrested so that a buddy can film it and submit it to a tv network. Reporters go on and on about police brutality or misuse of deadly force directed toward persons of color and barely mention that the person injured or killed has a criminal record or is threatening the life of the officer. Do black lives matter?.....well....Duh! All human life matters to anyone with a shred of decency. It is almost a sure bet that a man who works for his living and lives a sober, law abiding life will never have a bad experience with an officer of the law.
I suppose I'm disgusted, disgruntled, or dis-something with the way America is changing. I hoped the country would be an even better place for my kids and grandkids than it was for me....doesn't look that good right now. America? Where are you?
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Keepin up with the Grands
Getting old is not for sissies! Your body does not cooperate with your mind in the way it did when you were younger! I still try to do things as I did when I was a young man and feel just fine during the act. It's the after effects that tell me "Yep! You're old!".
Well, even so, there are some perks with age and one of the best is grand children. We have seven grand children at the moment. Two of them live close to us and we see them regularly. The others live hours away and we miss seeing them all the time!
It's funny....when the grands come around, we go into the entertaining mode immediately. We've bought new toys, fresh chalk, crayons, coloring books, play dough, and brought out old stuff that "Nana" saved from our own kids' childhood. Once here, the playing starts and is non-stop until they either leave or reach bed time. I guess that because we know we won't have much time with them, we think we have to make it count!...so, we do! It's exhausting but worth every minute. We wallow around on the floor with them, well, one of us at the time...we learned that one of was needed to help the other get up off the floor! We sing to them and tell them stories, trying to make as many memories as possible in the short time they are with us. Nana, bless her heart, tries her best to get a "good" picture, but, one or more have their eyes shut, or, are looking at something other than the camera...they just don't get it!
Two of my grand sons are teenagers and are in a different world all together. They just sort of grunt a "Hey Papaw" then settle into their world of silence. Iphones with unlimited text plans have almost taken open verbal conversation out of their lives! Even our own daughters and son spend a lot of visit time looking at their phones....thinking about a "no phone" zone at my house!
One of our former pastors talked about his grandchildren at times. He said "The little angels would arrive early in the morning and the little devils left at dark!" We knew he was joking and he, like us, wanted to have his grand children with him as much as possible.
We are about to pack up and go to one of my daughter's house to keep our 2 and 3 year old grand daughters for a couple of days. Pray for us...they are a busy pair and get into everything! Still, we look forward to it with great anticipation. We'll play with them, sing songs, rock them, feed them, and love them to death. Nana will once again try for that illusive "good" picture, and we'll make memories as we spend our time keeping up with the grands!
Well, even so, there are some perks with age and one of the best is grand children. We have seven grand children at the moment. Two of them live close to us and we see them regularly. The others live hours away and we miss seeing them all the time!
It's funny....when the grands come around, we go into the entertaining mode immediately. We've bought new toys, fresh chalk, crayons, coloring books, play dough, and brought out old stuff that "Nana" saved from our own kids' childhood. Once here, the playing starts and is non-stop until they either leave or reach bed time. I guess that because we know we won't have much time with them, we think we have to make it count!...so, we do! It's exhausting but worth every minute. We wallow around on the floor with them, well, one of us at the time...we learned that one of was needed to help the other get up off the floor! We sing to them and tell them stories, trying to make as many memories as possible in the short time they are with us. Nana, bless her heart, tries her best to get a "good" picture, but, one or more have their eyes shut, or, are looking at something other than the camera...they just don't get it!
Two of my grand sons are teenagers and are in a different world all together. They just sort of grunt a "Hey Papaw" then settle into their world of silence. Iphones with unlimited text plans have almost taken open verbal conversation out of their lives! Even our own daughters and son spend a lot of visit time looking at their phones....thinking about a "no phone" zone at my house!
One of our former pastors talked about his grandchildren at times. He said "The little angels would arrive early in the morning and the little devils left at dark!" We knew he was joking and he, like us, wanted to have his grand children with him as much as possible.
We are about to pack up and go to one of my daughter's house to keep our 2 and 3 year old grand daughters for a couple of days. Pray for us...they are a busy pair and get into everything! Still, we look forward to it with great anticipation. We'll play with them, sing songs, rock them, feed them, and love them to death. Nana will once again try for that illusive "good" picture, and we'll make memories as we spend our time keeping up with the grands!
Wednesday, January 20, 2016
Wait on it....Wait!
Have you ever thought about how much time you've spent in your life waiting on something? Most people, including myself, are not good at waiting. We live in a culture that expects instant gratification in all aspects of our lives. When we have to wait on something, we often whine and complain, even lose our tempers, our good sense, and our tongues sometimes!
I don't know anyone who enjoys waiting in a line. We don't like waiting on food at burger joints. We don't like waiting on stoplights (my Pastor says they are instruments of the devil). We don't like waiting on the good things in life such as the fish to start biting or for a good supper to get cooked! Now it's gotten to the point where we snarl and fuss when we click the computer mouse and the page doesn't instantly pull up!
"Have a seat in the waiting room and the doctor will see you in a few minutes."...oh boy!...waiting rooms! All major institutions in our society have designated areas for us to wait....waiting rooms or waiting areas. I don't like waiting rooms one bit! They are usually always nearly full, you have to sit down next to a total stranger, you don't know what sort of germ you might catch from those people, you may have to make conversation with them, and you wonder how long you will have to wait. Once I took my Dad to the eye doctor. My Mom went along as well and we got to the office a few minutes early. After signing in, we moved into the crowded waiting room to sit and wait. Mom and Dad were able to sit next to one another but I had to sit across the room. The nurses were leading people out and taking people back in their usual busy manner. Most of those coming out had dilated eyes from whatever procedure they had undergone, and, because they were nearly blind, the nurses would patiently lead them to the waiting room to deliver them to their family members. One fellow came out on his own and sat down next to a lady who he thought was his wife. He said, "Honey they dilated my eyes and I can't hardly see nothin!". The lady looked at him and smiled as she said, "I believe it cause, I ain't yo wife!....Honey!". I cracked up! His actual wife was there in a flash, gathering him up and both apologizing to the lady. Someone ought to write a book.."Tales of the Waiting Room"...might be a best seller!
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord!
Why is it so hard for us to wait? Christians ought to be good at it for from the moment of conversion we begin to wait upon the return of Jesus. We wait on God all the time for His instruction, His direction, or His intervention in our lives. God can change our circumstances. The problem with us is that God's timing is usually different from ours and we must wait in our present circumstance when we want to move forward.
Even so, it is always wise to wait on God. We live in the "right now" society. Instant gratification defines it, but, we must hone our waiting skills. God gives clear direction to us but seldom quickly. We must wait till He
gives it. Wait on the Lord.
Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye".
God uses our waiting time to prepare us for His purpose. Good parents do not give their children everything the ask for. Besides spoiling them, sometimes we know that the timing isn't right. Give them sugary treats or soft drinks just before bed time?...don't think so...the "timing" isn't right! How much more does God know this for us His children? Waiting also strengthens our faith. We cannot have too much of it for it provides us with hope when all else fails. Faith will sustain in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.
Finally, waiting allows us time to sift through our motives. Time allows a good thought process to play in our minds..."Why do I want this?"..."Do I need this?"..."Will I use this enough to justify the expense?"..."Will this benefit my family or just myself?"..."Will this cause a financial burden?"...etc. If we allow God to sift through our motives, the truth will come out, good or bad, and, we can better make a decision. If you need to make a life changing decision, wait a little, think through it carefully and let God direct you.
As I have gotten older, I find that waiting is not as bad for me as it used to be. I can tolerate it much better at my age now than I could when I was younger. A good word and friendly smile seem to expedite the waiting process. Still I must wait till Jesus returns or until God calls me home, we all do, so, let's just call it an "art" and wait on the Lord! He will sustain us.
I don't know anyone who enjoys waiting in a line. We don't like waiting on food at burger joints. We don't like waiting on stoplights (my Pastor says they are instruments of the devil). We don't like waiting on the good things in life such as the fish to start biting or for a good supper to get cooked! Now it's gotten to the point where we snarl and fuss when we click the computer mouse and the page doesn't instantly pull up!
"Have a seat in the waiting room and the doctor will see you in a few minutes."...oh boy!...waiting rooms! All major institutions in our society have designated areas for us to wait....waiting rooms or waiting areas. I don't like waiting rooms one bit! They are usually always nearly full, you have to sit down next to a total stranger, you don't know what sort of germ you might catch from those people, you may have to make conversation with them, and you wonder how long you will have to wait. Once I took my Dad to the eye doctor. My Mom went along as well and we got to the office a few minutes early. After signing in, we moved into the crowded waiting room to sit and wait. Mom and Dad were able to sit next to one another but I had to sit across the room. The nurses were leading people out and taking people back in their usual busy manner. Most of those coming out had dilated eyes from whatever procedure they had undergone, and, because they were nearly blind, the nurses would patiently lead them to the waiting room to deliver them to their family members. One fellow came out on his own and sat down next to a lady who he thought was his wife. He said, "Honey they dilated my eyes and I can't hardly see nothin!". The lady looked at him and smiled as she said, "I believe it cause, I ain't yo wife!....Honey!". I cracked up! His actual wife was there in a flash, gathering him up and both apologizing to the lady. Someone ought to write a book.."Tales of the Waiting Room"...might be a best seller!
Psalm 27:14 Wait on the Lord, be of good courage and He shall strengthen your heart; wait I say, on the Lord!
Why is it so hard for us to wait? Christians ought to be good at it for from the moment of conversion we begin to wait upon the return of Jesus. We wait on God all the time for His instruction, His direction, or His intervention in our lives. God can change our circumstances. The problem with us is that God's timing is usually different from ours and we must wait in our present circumstance when we want to move forward.
Even so, it is always wise to wait on God. We live in the "right now" society. Instant gratification defines it, but, we must hone our waiting skills. God gives clear direction to us but seldom quickly. We must wait till He
gives it. Wait on the Lord.
Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye".
God uses our waiting time to prepare us for His purpose. Good parents do not give their children everything the ask for. Besides spoiling them, sometimes we know that the timing isn't right. Give them sugary treats or soft drinks just before bed time?...don't think so...the "timing" isn't right! How much more does God know this for us His children? Waiting also strengthens our faith. We cannot have too much of it for it provides us with hope when all else fails. Faith will sustain in whatever circumstance we find ourselves.
Finally, waiting allows us time to sift through our motives. Time allows a good thought process to play in our minds..."Why do I want this?"..."Do I need this?"..."Will I use this enough to justify the expense?"..."Will this benefit my family or just myself?"..."Will this cause a financial burden?"...etc. If we allow God to sift through our motives, the truth will come out, good or bad, and, we can better make a decision. If you need to make a life changing decision, wait a little, think through it carefully and let God direct you.
As I have gotten older, I find that waiting is not as bad for me as it used to be. I can tolerate it much better at my age now than I could when I was younger. A good word and friendly smile seem to expedite the waiting process. Still I must wait till Jesus returns or until God calls me home, we all do, so, let's just call it an "art" and wait on the Lord! He will sustain us.
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