First step is back.

I’ve got good students.

The best, actually.

I treasure the chance to get to see more sides of them than just the student one.

Somehow their faith is even more impressive outside the Velcro-friendly carpet walls.

That’s why you can catch Sister T. in the audience, the crowd, the stands.

And my personal favorite, watching from the outfield.

Balls hit to deep center reminded me of an important aspect of out-fielding, one that doesn’t always come easy but proves essential to limiting errors.

When the ball is hit to the outfield, a fielder’s first step is always back.

Stepping back gives space and time to track the ball and make the catch. It prevents overrunning the ball, losing it in the harsh sun, and the need to run backwards.

You can run forward faster than you can run backward.

So the first step is back.

I enjoy watching, especially when their first step is back and cheers follow a win.

But I’ve grown to admire first steps back even more off the field.

When the stress of tryouts weigh heavily and the first thought is to pray.

Or when their reality is less than an earthly home with parents kind and dear, and the brave response is to trust a God who heals broken things, and compensates for lost time.

When the choice to have no company over bad company is lonely, and the choice is still made to, in true Christlike fashion, find and lift other hands that hang down, too.

When uncertainty pierces, and scriptures are opened, as well as hearts.

When hearts and minds are broken, and the pieces are placed in those Pierced Hands.

When their first step is back, and the play is made.

I cheer louder than they’ll ever know.

I can only imagine the Heavenly response.

While a “careful and troubled” Martha charged forward with the best of intentions, Mary chose the “good part.” (Mark 9)

They, in their own ways, recognized that the Savior didn’t come for them to be burdened, but that He carried every burden so they could come to Him.

But in order to learn, they had to step back.

So will we.

Stepping back from overreactions and underdeveloped opinions. Back from unkind words and unfair assessments of the Lord’s perfect plan and others’ place in it.

Back from unrighteous judgments - those of others, oneself, and even God.

Back from fruitless lenience and detrimental exploration.

Stepping back gives space and time to track the ball and make the catch.

You can run forward faster than you can run backward.

Conditioning our minds to first step back will limit errors in the outfield.

First step is back.

First, step to Him.

#hearhim #becauseofhim #comefollowme