Do Your Job

When Cade was a freshman, he and three of his friends played on the Varsity baseball team. While I was extremely proud of him, it was intense because of the high expectations for a fourteen year old kid. And on top of that, his dad was one of the coaches. The initial part of the season was full of controversery as the boys tried to prove themselves, and some of upperclassmens' parents accused the coaches of playing favorites. Luckily, it all worked itself out in the end. The boys proved they were worthy of the position, the other players accepted them, and heck, they won the state championship. But that is all a side note to my point.

During the season, when Cade would get up to bat, Ryan would clap his hands together from the first base coach position and say "Do your job". Not, "You can do it", or "I believe in you", but just a simple "Do your job." I spent a good part of that time thinking Ryan was a jerk. What in the world?! Here was my baby boy, who needed all the encouragement we could offer, and Ryan was just telling him to do his job. Finally I confronted Ryan about it. (Confronted may be a strong word, let's just say "asked"). What he told me, struck me as so profound, that it keeps coming back to me as a motto for my life.

He said, "You know Marcie, I get so nervous for him sometimes that I just have to turn away. My stomach churns and I want nothing more for him than to get a great hit. But nothing I say or do can get that hit for him. He knows what to do. We've taught him, and he's practiced it. All he has to do is get up there and do his job.

"Wow. That really changed my perspective on Ryan, Cade and their relationship. Nobody was asking Cade to perform a miracle, but then again, no one expected him to fail. Doing "his best" wasn't quite enough, but there was a total expectation that he could handle the task. And if he failed on that try (which happens enough in baseball) Ryan was there to tell him to hang in there, give him some advice get him ready for the next time.

Anyway, that phrase often comes to my mind when I'm feel overwhelmed and stressed. "Just do your job". I don't have to be perfect, I don't have do even do it all. I just have to accomplish the task that is right in front of me. And sometimes, I won't be successful. But there is always someone there to tell me to hang in there and encourage me to keep trying. Truthfully, it reminds me a lot about our relationships with Heavenly Father. I can just imagine him watching us, hoping we'll "do our job", but knowing that he can't do it for us. Yet, he's always there, ready with encouragement, a little advice, and the expectation that we'll get back in the game.