Today I had the great honor of going to the 10th Annual Kickball game between the 4th graders and 5th graders of my kid's elementary school. She is a fifth grader so I had my own bias. Showing up I heard chanting and banter between the two sides and of course I was cheering for the 5th graders. They ended up being a little short staffed for the event so they asked if I would mind being the Ref. Being the good dad that I am of course I said yes and thought "this will be fun". WOW lapse in judgement.
I was not far into calling the game when I realized this is "for real" and I had better get out my best A game for umping. I do not have an A game for umping so I made it up as I went along. I made every one mad both sides expressing their outrage at me with equal intensity. In fact one of the teachers was so agitated with me she called a time out in which I was the focus of the conversation. I am not sure if I have ever been so disliked by so many people at once. And I really like for people to like me so this was incredibly difficult and way outside of where I like to be.
I realized by the fourth inning that I was not going to make anyone happy or make any new friends so I could only do my best and let the chips fall where they may. I could only call the game and call what I saw. So that's what I did and I am still here to write about it. I missed a lot of calls but I got a couple right as well. At the end of the game I did not get asked for many autographs but I knew that I had done the best I could with my limited umpire knowledge I had and so that had to be good enough.
I realized today that when everyone dislikes you it is not the end of the world. It was actually kind of freeing. I gave up trying to please people and just did what I thought was the right thing. I think so often in leadership and in ministry we are so consumed about what others think and how they will "like " us we give up our ability to do "right" to make the good call or stand in the gap for those without a voice. Most of us ministry folks really liked being liked in fact we suck it up like a big gulp from 7-11 but we often compromise our own ability to lead because being liked takes precedent over leading our needs take precedent over the needs of others. We need to make the tough calls, take a stand and mostly do the best we can with the skills and talents God has given us and in the end that is enough. That is all we are really ever called to. To do those things is really all we can ask for from ourselves and from others.
I don't know if this whole ministry thing does not work out maybe I have a second career as an Ump. Play Ball!
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Everybody should do this once
Today I had the great honor of going to the 10th Annual Kickball game between the 4th graders and 5th graders of my kid's elementary school. She is a fifth grader so I had my own bias. Showing up I heard chanting and banter between the two sides and of course I was cheering for the 5th graders. They ended up being a little short staffed for the event so they asked if I would mind being the Ref. Being the good dad that I am of course I said yes and thought "this will be fun". WOW lapse in judgement.
I was not far into calling the game when I realized this is "for real" and I had better get out my best A game for umping. I do not have an A game for umping so I made it up as I went along. I made every one mad both sides expressing their outrage at me with equal intensity. In fact one of the teachers was so agitated with me she called a time out in which I was the focus of the conversation. I am not sure if I have ever been so disliked by so many people at once. And I really like for people to like me so this was incredibly difficult and way outside of where I like to be.
I realized by the fourth inning that I was not going to make anyone happy or make any new friends so I could only do my best and let the chips fall where they may. I could only call the game and call what I saw. So that's what I did and I am still here to write about it. I missed a lot of calls but I got a couple right as well. At the end of the game I did not get asked for many autographs but I knew that I had done the best I could with my limited umpire knowledge I had and so that had to be good enough.
I realized today that when everyone dislikes you it is not the end of the world. It was actually kind of freeing. I gave up trying to please people and just did what I thought was the right thing. I think so often in leadership and in ministry we are so consumed about what others think and how they will "like " us we give up our ability to do "right" to make the good call or stand in the gap for those without a voice. Most of us ministry folks really liked being liked in fact we suck it up like a big gulp from 7-11 but we often compromise our own ability to lead because being liked takes precedent over leading our needs take precedent over the needs of others. We need to make the tough calls, take a stand and mostly do the best we can with the skills and talents God has given us and in the end that is enough. That is all we are really ever called to. To do those things is really all we can ask for from ourselves and from others.
I don't know if this whole ministry thing does not work out maybe I have a second career as an Ump. Play Ball!
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