In Pursuit

So, our baseball playing son was to be home yesterday afternoon but there was a glitch in the plans. With airline ticket in hand, a roster problem caused the Phillies to ask our son for a favor. They asked him to stay on for a few more days to help them out. He obliged. The Phillies were thankful and told him that if he ever needs a personal recommendation that they would be glad to provide it. Our son’s life-long goal of playing professional baseball is coming to an end, and although he has to change his career goals, we are thankful that he is keeping a balanced head through the process.
As parents, we all hope that our children’s dreams can be fulfilled. Yet, we often lose sight of some of the most important blessings in life when we get too focused on their finish line. The real blessing in all of our lives is found in the pursuit of our goals, not in the goals themselves. It’s in the pursuit that we learn the lessons of perseverance, character, endurance, and encouragement. It’s where we learn to mature in our interactions with people amidst our challenges. However, if we are so focused on the finish line, which is retirement for some, then we often miss the greatest blessings of life along the way. Whether it’s the goals of our children or our own goals, it’s good to remember that life is lived between the lines: The start line and the finish line. Whether we meet our goals or not, the person we become in the pursuit is what really matters, much more so than the goal itself.