DailySusan Humor Blog

HOW SWEET IT IS

Our daughter Eden’s name is in the paper this morning for hitting a game-saving triple in last night’s softball showdown with our school’s arch-rival.

It was a huge blast, over the centerfielder’s head by a mile. I mean, HUGE!

But nobody knows the real spiritual victory behind it. See, she had a pretty good summer with her select softball team, the one that won the metro championship and finished 19th at Nationals. But for a variety of reasons, since the high-school season opened 10 games ago, she hasn’t batted all that well.

Then, night before last, some poisonous gossip was passed on to her, and it cut her to the quick. An adult -- who shall remain nameless and who definitely should’ve known better -- had spread it around that Eden didn’t care about her high-school team as much as her summer team, and that’s why she was in a slump.

Didn’t care?!? As if!!!

Passionately upset, night before last, she asked me to go out to our barn, the upper level of which her dad fixed up for her and whatever team she’s on as a batting cage and practice facility. For a half-hour, she had me fire practice balls at her in the pitching machine, help her use the soft-toss machine, and throw little bitty golf whiffle balls at her . . . which made the real softballs last night look as big as the moon, and easy to hit.

Presto! The big triple, which hopefully shut up the nasty gossip.

But here’s where she made a real hit: she has forgiven the person, sworn us to secrecy over who it was, will never do anything to retaliate, took the insult as an opportunity to rise above negativity and do something positive, and views the whole thing as a learning experience to help her grow and be a better person.

THAT’S what’s sweet. Thank You, Coach Jesus. What an RBI!

--------------------------

Prayer request: Let’s pray for the person who said the mean thing. Lord, You know full well that I have said more than my share of mean things in my life. I totally repent of them and will strive to say only things that are true and positive, from now on. Thank You for the example of how my darling daughter was hurt, but rose above it. Help bring this other person to that important standard of behavior, too, Father God. (James 3:6)