Today is Field Day for my six year old. Last night he told me that he wasn’t going to win anything. As he did he started crying and it broke my heart. Jeremy is convinced that he is the slowest kid in class.
I tried to reassure him that it was going to be okay. I gave him the typical “just try your hardest speech” and told him stories of my field day experiences growing up.
For me “Field Day” were two words that I loathed with the white hot intensity of a thousand suns. I was the slowest runner in every “dash” there was. I once quit the hundred yard dash because I was so far behind everyone else (not my proudest moment.)
But, while I couldn’t run or throw or jump that well there were other things I could do. I could wrestle and preach (not at the same time thank you very much.)
As I explained to Jeremy how bad I was it brought a slight smile to his face. If he got my athletic genes and is not good at sports we’d work on it, practice harder and find other things that he can excel at. If he got my wife’s genes and excels at sports we’d work on it, practice harder and find even more things he can excel at. Either way, my challenge to my boy was to do his best for Jesus and, if someone is faster than him, praise God for the speed God gave the other kid.
His biggest concern is that he won’t win an award of any kind. I reminded him that if there was an award for an articulate little kid who knows how to tell stories that he would win hands down. I reminded him of how even older kids gather around him at times to hear him say his funny little sayings and tell his stories. I reminded him how the only thing that matters is that we serve Jesus and try our best for his glory.
But, if you think about it today, utter a little prayer for my boy Jeremy today during field day. Pray that he tries his best and remembers daddy’s words no matter what happens. And pray that he goes to sleep with a smile on his face tonight.
