FROM FAMINE TO FEAST (32 OF 54)
by Keith Krell
Scripture: Genesis 26:1-33
This content is part of a series.
From Famine to Feast (32 of 54)
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 26:1-33
My children and I enjoy playing baseball. [Bring baseball equipment on stage.] My eight-year-old son, Joshua, particularly enjoys the game. We play nearly every day. During our practice sessions I have been trying to teach Joshua certain baseball skills. When he swings the bat I tell him not to ''chop wood'' (i.e., hack at the ball). Instead, I coach him to have a level and fluid swing. I do this by asking him to imagine there is a crystal vase on the dining room table, and he has my permission to swing right through it. Whether Joshua is batting or fielding, I always urge him to ''keep his eye on the ball.'' I have repeated this so many times that my four-year-old, Jena, likes to say, ''If there's one thing I know, it's to keep my eye on the ball.''
Unfortunately, I do not always follow my own baseball advice. On at least one occasion when Joshua was pitching to me, I took my eye off the ball and fouled a pitch back over my head into our neighbor's yard. Of course, I then had to lift Joshua over the fence into their yard to quickly retrieve the ball before their two salivating dogs could charge him. There are also the infamous episodes when I take my eye off the ball and it goes through my legs. I hate that! Whenever these blunders happen, Joshua regurgitates my own counsel and gives me a hard time. What can I do in response? I just have to smile, look sheepish, and try to do a better job following my own instruction.
My failure to perfectly execute on the baseball diamond does not trouble me too much. In the years I have been playing baseball with my kids, I have never lost sleep over my mishaps. My kids can overcome my baseball blunders. However, if I fail to practice what I preach when I am competing in the game of life, the consequences for my kids and me are staggering. This is also true for you if you are a parent or grandparent. Your children and gran ...
Series: The Book of Beginnings
Keith Krell
Genesis 26:1-33
My children and I enjoy playing baseball. [Bring baseball equipment on stage.] My eight-year-old son, Joshua, particularly enjoys the game. We play nearly every day. During our practice sessions I have been trying to teach Joshua certain baseball skills. When he swings the bat I tell him not to ''chop wood'' (i.e., hack at the ball). Instead, I coach him to have a level and fluid swing. I do this by asking him to imagine there is a crystal vase on the dining room table, and he has my permission to swing right through it. Whether Joshua is batting or fielding, I always urge him to ''keep his eye on the ball.'' I have repeated this so many times that my four-year-old, Jena, likes to say, ''If there's one thing I know, it's to keep my eye on the ball.''
Unfortunately, I do not always follow my own baseball advice. On at least one occasion when Joshua was pitching to me, I took my eye off the ball and fouled a pitch back over my head into our neighbor's yard. Of course, I then had to lift Joshua over the fence into their yard to quickly retrieve the ball before their two salivating dogs could charge him. There are also the infamous episodes when I take my eye off the ball and it goes through my legs. I hate that! Whenever these blunders happen, Joshua regurgitates my own counsel and gives me a hard time. What can I do in response? I just have to smile, look sheepish, and try to do a better job following my own instruction.
My failure to perfectly execute on the baseball diamond does not trouble me too much. In the years I have been playing baseball with my kids, I have never lost sleep over my mishaps. My kids can overcome my baseball blunders. However, if I fail to practice what I preach when I am competing in the game of life, the consequences for my kids and me are staggering. This is also true for you if you are a parent or grandparent. Your children and gran ...
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