Identity Struggles from a Baseball Mom

I am a baseball mom … among many other sports and activities. But this is the season we are now in that dominates a good chunk of our time.

I love it though and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else … well, maybe somewhere else, like home, a couple nights a week :).  But the joy that comes for a parent watching your children succeed in their various realms makes it all worth it. To be their support on the sidelines and the one they look over to and flash their familiar smile when they do well or their team is winning.

However, we all know things don’t always go in their favor and it’s not easy to see them down or sad, in any area of their lives. We must then bear the weight of their frustration and failures, find the right words and walk the fine line between consoling, encouraging and instructing.

This takes wisdom, patience and prayer. As does another issue I wrestled though last week when my son was pitching.

You see he is normally on first base or sometimes in the outfield, but he had hoped to try pitching. His opportunity finally came and he stepped up to the mound. He had some great throws and managed to strike a batter out, but the majority of his pitches were too high or outside. Generally just inconsistent.

I squirmed in my chair feeling nervous for him, wanting so desperately to see him succeed. Thankfully the moms sitting around me are awesome and were cheering him on. And our coach never got upset, only encouraged him lovingly throughout the seemingly longest half inning ever!

A total of five runs were scored against us because of all the walks. And I worried that if we lost it would be on his shoulders; his fault – only him to blame.

How would this effect him? How would he be viewed?

This is where our fear takes us, isn’t it? A fear of man. A fear of what other people think. Too easily our identity becomes wrapped up in other people’s opinions and not what God says to be true.

This is when the rubber meets the road in terms of how the gospel applies to all of life. And the most important thing I can do, as a mom, for my kids is to point them back to Christ. To remind them of their true identity and the opinion of the only One who matters.

My son’s identity will never be secure if he finds his confidence in being a good pitcher, or ballplayer period. Just as adults, we can not base our worth on our beauty, intelligence, other’s opinions, professional or financial successes or anything else.

My right standing and identity only comes in knowing that I have a Savior who lived a perfect life and then died a sacrificial death for me, despite my sin. When we realize there is nothing we did to earn His grace and nothing we can do to lose it, we will find our confidence and security in Him.

Now when I fail, or look bad, or mess up, or think others are talking bad about or blaming me, I do not have to fear or defend myself. Instead I can stand assured that His favor and delight rests on me! No one else’s opinion matters; it’s all sinking sand.

This is a perspective we must believe for ourselves and teach to our kids. They don’t need greater self-esteem, they need a greater understanding of their worth in Christ!

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