“Can I go too?” Hans piped in.
“Sure thing, Hansy boy. Let me get changed, and we’ll go over to the fields.”
That evening after I kissed Nigel goodnight, he looked up at me with renewed hope in his eyes.
“Will we practice batting tomorrow?”
“I think so, but let me do a little more homework before I give you a definite answer.”
“Okay,” Nigel answered and pulled the covers to his chin.
“Hey man, we got this! I promise!”
He smiled at my confidence and drifted to sleep as I gently rubbed his hair.
Mary Lynn came to sit on the couch next to me when I placed the first videotape in the recorder.
“Movie?” she asked.
“No, not really. It’s an instructional video about hitting a baseball.”
“Mr. Research at it again?” she said with a smile.
I laughed in recognition, “Yeah, I guess so.”
“Well, I think I will leave you to your studies while I go and balance the checkbook.”
“Make sure it comes out with us having lots of extra money!” I replied and hit the button on the TV remote.
“I will do my best. Enjoy your show, see you in bed.” She waved and disappeared into the kitchen.
Between the videos and hours of reading, it was almost 2:30 in the morning before I joined her.
CHAPTER 5
The Promise
Nigel went to baseball practice Tuesday and Thursday nights during the week. I had to work late Tuesday, so Mary Lynn brought him to the field.
“How did it go?” I asked on her return.
Nigel’s face told the story.
“Fielding was fine. Batting was not as good,” she replied.
“That’s okay Buddy, I’m getting it figured out.”
He tried to smile and went to take a shower.
The batting technique books read easily, and by early Thursday morning I had finished two of them. Although as a boy I was a pretty good player, I simply used raw talent without much in the way of good coaching. I also focused mostly on football in high school. I quickly learned that baseball, like most sports, required a great deal of technique in order to become successful at it.
Thursday’s practice went fairly well, but Nigel still struggled with his confidence at the plate. It was really hard to watch the son I loved wrestle with his doubt in the gifts he had been given by God. As I stood at the fence, Joshua’s teaching on righteousness came to mind.
Was my unbelief in the incredible promises of God hindering my development as a Christian?
It seemed Nigel’s lack of faith, and its effect on his batting, created a physical example of my spiritual struggle. We both had much to learn about the blessings from a God who loves us.
Unfortunately, the Saturday morning game arrived before I was ready. I had completed my reading and watched the videos, but I hadn’t had time to execute my plan. We won the game but Nigel went 0 for 3 at the plate. He was mentally beaten, and everyone on the team knew it. At the end of the game, the coach came over to talk to me.
“Go to the car with your mother and brother. I will be there in a minute, Buddy,” I said to Nigel while he gathered his gear from the dugout. He could see the coach approaching and obeyed my request.
“John, it seems Nigel has lost some of his confidence. Maybe we should give him a little time off.” He was gentle in his approach, but serious with his statement.
“Yeah Coach, I realized that as well,” I replied. “I think he’s trying to adjust to the speed of the kid’s pitching.”
“I agree. This is a pretty big step from the machines, and he is young for the team. Plus, this is a competitive team, not a recreational league. He plays well on the field, but I need more from him with his bat.”
“I understand,” I answered with a nod of my head, knowing full well what was about to happen.
“I think I will replace him as a starter until he can show me more at the plate.” He looked at me asking, “Do you understand the situation?”
“Yes, I do. No problem Coach, you have to do what you think is best for the team,” I stated and we shook hands in agreement.
I began the painful long trek to the parking lot. I could see my wife in the distance loading Hans into the car. We had hit a new low, and I would have to break the news to Nigel. As I walked between parked cars, I heard the coach’s voice call out from behind me.
“Hey, John, hold on a minute.”
I stopped to see him carrying two duffle bags full of equipment.
“We don’t really have a batting coach, so I can’t do much for Nigel, but maybe you could get him some lessons in town. There are a few guys doing that locally, and I can get you their phone numbers. We could use Nigel’s speed and glove if he can get his confidence back when hitting the ball.” Obviously, his coach was trying to help.
I replied with appreciation of his efforts, “Thanks, I will let you know. I do have a plan.”
“Great! Then I will see Nigel at practice on Tuesday?”
“Absolutely,” I responded.
When I got to the car, Mary Lynn and Hans sat quietly in the air conditioning. Nigel was waiting for me outside by the driver’s door.
“What did the coach say, Dad?”
“He mentioned that we might want to get a little help with your hitting,” I explained while trying to develop an answer for the next question.
“Did I lose my starting spot on second base?” Nigel had always been very mature for his age and incredibly in touch with his surroundings.
“I guess so, for now, Buddy. But…he definitely wants you on the field. We just need to heat up your bat. I’ve been doing a lot of research and have some ideas on how to solve this problem together. Mom told me that Eric invited you over to his house for lunch and the rest of the afternoon, so let’s begin tomorrow. Is that a deal?” I put my hand out to complete the contract.
Nigel looked me straight in the eye. I could see that his determination had returned, and defeat was no longer at the forefront. A new goal had been established, and he was focused on regaining his starting spot with the team. Joy flooded my soul when he shook my hand with purpose and stated, “Deal!”
Before long, I was on my way to Joshua’s. Nigel was at Eric’s house, and Mary Lynn was at the playground with Hans and some friends. I smiled as I drove, enjoying the fact that my biblical research had provided the answer to the challenging question Joshua presented during our last encounter.
I was ready for him this time!
When I arrived, I could see that spring had exploded with a marvelous variety of colors in his yard. Bright purples, reds, and yellows were surrounded by the many shades of green. Time passed quickly while we worked together on the new engine. He didn’t talk much, but whistled his familiar tune between our light conversations. The motor’s short block was coming together nicely and would soon be completed. Although there was still a lot to do, we were on schedule according to his projected timeline. When the last piston was in place and bolted to the crankshaft, he turned to me with the much-anticipated inquiry.
“So...do you have an answer to my question from our last meeting?”