The Pastoral Grind

(Originally written for The Baldwin Bulletin: Pastor's Column July 5, 2023) Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it. (Proverbs 22:6) When I was a kid, I played baseball, basketball, and soccer in my hometown’s rec league. If I wanted to play, my parents would sign me up. If I decided I didn’t like the sport or didn’t want to play anymore, they made me finish the season (except for my final year of Little League baseball when I got sick of riding the bench and completely lost interest). Fast forward to this summer and my wife and I enrolled our two oldest children in softball and t-ball for their first summer team sports. My interest in baseball has continued as a fan of the White Sox. My kids have shown interest in the sport over the last year, helped by having friends who are playing. We were gone during the first week of practices, so I wanted to practice some with them at home before their first nights and when we have time as