Sunflower Seeds

Here is a chapter in the book I am seeking to write on coaching baseball and lessons in the Kingdom of God. My editor has not yet done their work here, so there are issues but I wanted to throw it our there for some responses.

  Sunflower Seeds

 They were five packs for a quarter. That was the price of sunflower seeds when I started the habit. For over an hour you could enjoy something in your mouth to chew on, plus you got to spit! Sunflower seeds are truly a gift from God but the ability to eat them without touching your mouth must be developed.

 Brian seemed to have a special interest in eating seeds. I suspect it was because they were forbidden at home, in the car or at school. Seeds are often forbidden in all those places spitting is looked down on. I would catch Brian watching me dump a handful in my mouth – followed by the rapid fire “crack” and “spew.” On a good day shells can fly like spent brass from a Gatling gun. What boy doesn’t want to chew and spit like that?

 Brian was a two-hander. Needing two hands to consume seeds is of little trouble in the dugout, but when you take your glove off in the field to break into a little salty delight, trouble is waiting. I recall Brian headed into right field, back pocket bulging with seeds and cheeps swelled with his first load firmly in place.

 While the ball was never hit to Brian during that inning I most remember the crowd noise, probably from family members. “What is he doing,” “Brian, pick your glove up,” “Brian, stop that”, “Is he chocking?” were some of my recollections.

In baseball and in life there are distractions, many of these are enjoyable distractions. Brian was playing his position, he was doing his job. Brian was also enjoying one of the traditions and benefits of the game – seeds. Sure the result was “unpreparedness”. In the spiritual life we are often caught unprepared because we are enjoying some tradition or benefit. We can lose sight of what is happening as we focus on what we are doing, on what we are enjoying. It is easy to lose sight of the whole game as one part, one position, one delight becomes our focus.

 Have you ever encountered fights or arguments at church? Church fellowship meals, worship music, proper offering procedure have all been distractions at times. Maybe you know someone who got distracted with fellowship and forgot to help clean, lock up or follow through on some commitment. Sure there are always some who can multitask, they can eat seeds, no hands required. But for most people that is developed through years of practice. Like the disciple of Jesus who matures to the point of being active yet not distracted from the Lord, we too can develop and grow. Our ability is seldom without effort and failure. Most of the time we “learn to do”, we don’t already know “how to do”.

 For the most part people are not mad as us for being distracted. They do notice when you lay your glove on the ground and stand unprepared for the position you are in. Don’t get upset with calls to “pick up your glove’, to “pay attention’, to “do your part”. Brian could have responded with the modern cultural response that “I can do whatever I want”. I’m glad he didn’t. Selfishness is never a good choice in team life.

 The games over and there are half a bag of seeds left in my pocket. I pull Brian aside and walk him through the process of eating without hands. I send the bag home for some practice. It’s like the time I asked people to have a time of enjoyable worship with the Christian music they were the most offended by. With a little practice our delights can become non-distractions and our distractions, delights. Just a little something to chew on.