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CajunRick
Network Helper
| Joined: | Fri Sep 29th, 2006 |
| Location: | Houma, Louisiana USA |
| Posts: | 4981 |
| First Name: | Rick (& Kermie) | | Gender: | Male | | Faith History: | Lifetime Catholic, Latin Rite |
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Posted: Sat May 26th, 2007 06:49 pm |
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The following Penguin Parable is copyright 2007 by Marti Wilson.
It was originally posted on Catholic Pillar and Foundation, and is reposted with permission.
All of you who know me, know that the ballfield is the closest thing to Heaven on Earth (Mass actually being Heaven on Earth). Come spring time I live on a ball field. This year owing to the age of my youngest I left softball to go back to coaching T-ball and have wound up coaching teams in two different leagues. Talk about up to my ears in little guys. It seems I cannot go anywhere these days without hearing someone call out "Hi Coach!" But I digress . . .
At a recent game, we were all out there playing with a zeal and joyous abandon. I was coaching at the plate and putting the ball on the tee for my batters. Just before I placed the ball again, I noticed that my assistant coach who was coaching runners at first base was on the field kneeling next to the other team's 2nd baseman. I looked at him quizzically and he stood up, dusted himself off, returned to the base coach box, and signalled he was ready to play. It took a moment before it registered with me and the coach from the other team who was at the plate working with his catcher, exactly what had happened. A very caring and attentive man, my assistant coach had noticed the 2nd baseman was so caught up in playing this little 5 year old had an accident. Oh how embarassing to be standing in the middle of the field with a telltale wet spot. His friends and teammates never knew and he never had a moment to be ashamed. My assistant had untucked the boy's uniform shirt so that it now covered the stain and the child returned to playing with a relieved joy.
I treasure such moments of caring in my heart and they are part of what makes the ballfield a wonderful place to me. Yet, later I wondered how the parents got their young guy home without getting the smell of urine in the seat of the car as they did not even pause while loading up after the game. Despite being covered up the smell and the wet stain were still there. It set me off to wondering once again about those denominations who believe that our sins are covered up by the Blood of Christ so he can sneak our sins past God. While such a preaching may make many people feel better as they make errors day to day, the sin is still real and there.
There on the ballfield, a little kid was so relieved by the kindness of a coach. None of the other kids knew, but every adult knew. Is God a child that such a thing could be snuck past Him? It does not seem likely at all. We are assured that our sins are washed away by the Blood of Christ and replaced with the grace of Christ that we may stand whole before God. Rather than covering up the mistakes of a Christian, Jesus in His Wisdom gave us the sacrament of Reconcilliation where we can wash as often as we need to until we get the hang of walking without error.
A coach offered a child a kindness -- Jesus does not offer us a mere kindness -- He offers us an overwhelming love that we may be washed and filled with His grace rather than sin. Were you are may seem right because of the kindness, but the real washing is to be found at home -- come home -- come home to Christ's Church.
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Understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore seek not to understand that you may believe, but believe that you may understand. - Augustine
Rick Luquette
Luquette Lane
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