Focus on the Finish – Week of 3/14/11

“Since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders us and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.  Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame and sat down at the right hand of God.  Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and loose heart.” Hebrews 12:1-3 (Also see Phil. 3:12-14)

This passage took on a new meaning for me many years ago while I was working as the Youth and Recreation Director in Oklahoma.  As the Recreation Director one of my goals was to establish a T-Ball league for kids in the area.

One day I received a call from some parents asking if they could meet with me about their son joining one of the teams.  I thought this was a bit odd.   All they really needed to do was to just sign their child up.  In the event that this request would need any special attention, I invited one of the best coaches I had at the time to join me in the meeting with them.  As soon as the parents arrived I realized why they wanted to speak with us.  This is when I met the young boy we will call Ken.

Ken had complications at birth that left him unable to walk, barely able to move his arms, and barely functional physically as a normal child would be.  Mentally Ken was as sharp as a tack.  He had this passion for baseball though, like I’ve never seen.  It was all he thought about 24 / 7.  His parents began working with him using this focus on baseball as motivation.  He wanted to play baseball some day.

They started out by purchasing him a plastic T-Ball set with plastic ball, plastic bat and t-ball stand.  In his wheel chair they would work with him to hold the bat and swing it at the ball.  Over time he was able to make contact with the ball and his muscles in his arms allowed him to hold the bat by himself.  As he gained strength, his father then cut out the lower handle of the plastic bat.  He also cut off  a piece of a broom handle.  He taped the shortened broom stick to the end of the plastic bat making the bat heavier.

Over time, Ken’s muscles became strong enough and adapted to the weight of the newly designed bat.  He eventually was able to work himself up to being able to handle a small souvenir bat like one you would get as a souvenir at a professional baseball game. I asked Ken what he would be thinking that first time he stepped up to the plate to bat.  He responded “This ball is going over the fence!”

Ken also had to develop walking skills.  He was put into braces at a very early age.  The braces were very similar to the braces you saw in the movie Forest Gump.   In Ken’s mind though, it was like those braces didn’t exist.  What was important to him was the fact that someday he was going to be running bases in a real baseball game.

By the time he was old enough to participate in the T-ball league, he was able to walk with the braces.  He could run as well but it involved swinging one leg in front of the other in a stiff rigid fashion.  Running was a challenge for him.  When he ran he would fall every few feet, typically getting tangled up in the braces.

Ken and I at one point during our meeting, left my office for a few minutes and walked out into the foyer while the coach and parents had a chance to talk privately.  Ken asked me if I would like to see him run. I said “Sure, let’s race.”  When we took off, Ken ran a few steps, swinging one leg in front of the other when his braces got tangled up and he fell.  I started to help him up and he informed me that he had it covered, worked his way back up and then took off leaving me behind.  He would not stop until he had reached the wall across the room we had set as our goal.

This was a pretty special to see a kid like Ken, with such focus, totally oblivious to his restraints, looking at life in a way I only hoped to achieve someday. To see parents with such dedication, focus and patience.  But the real lesson for me came when I saw him play his first game.  Videos were not big back then and I would give anything to have been able to record what I observed.

Ken’s first time to come up to bat in that first game was pretty special.  He had this huge smile on his face as he walked to the plate, braces on his legs.  There were two outs.  He stepped into the batter’s box, reared back and with all his might swung and made contact with the ball.

The contact he made was only enough to muster a little dribbler toward the pitcher who I think had his face in his glove chewing on one of the leather strings like T-ballers sometimes do.  Ken takes off and sure enough a few feet out of the batters box stumbles, braces and all falls to the ground.  As Ken goes down though, I picked up something that I don’t think anyone else saw and doubt he would remember if you were to ask him today.  As he was falling his head tilted back and his eyes locked onto first base. Chills ran through my spine.  His goal for that that moment, make it to first base.

The pitcher at the verbal prodding of his coaches and parents standing on the sideline took the glove from his mouth and ran over and picked up the ball.  He stares at it for a few seconds and then with the continued prodding from coaching and parents runs toward first base and hands the ball to the first baseman.  Ken was out.  The inning over.

Ken wasn’t finished though and his coach saw this.  Ken is working to get back on his feet.  His focus was zeroed in on making it to first base and he starts running again, even though the play is over.  Ken’s coach sees him and begins rooting him on, parents in the stands realize what is going on and start yelling their encouragement as well.  Ken made it to first base! As he was standing there with this big smile on his face, you would have thought the world was coming to an end.  His coach picks him up in celebration and starts carrying him back to the dugout, parents are clapping, I think I remembered a few horns honking. Ken was a baseball player.  Me, I had to wipe a few tears away.

By the end of the year Ken had developed his running to the point that he was running around the bases without falling.  He was using one of the heaviest bats the team had and had even scored a few times.

It has been 30 years since that event took place.  I recently found his parents through Facebook and discovered he is now married, has two wonderful kids and a very successful career.

Ken and his family will never know how much their focus and determination affected this persons life.  He gave those that knew him a new meaning for what it meant to focus on the finish.  What it means about forgetting the past and focusing on the goal ahead. To not allow the restraints of life continue to slow you down or hold you back.  What it means to keep you focus on the prize that God is calling you to and not the challenges we are faced with.  Ken’s parents also taught me something as well.  Through their love, their patience, their understanding, their constant faith, and their never give up hope attitude…..in them I saw the true love of God.