Out of the Comfort Zone

I attended a clinic for umpires today held by the Regional Umpire Network. It was a good group of about 8 men who all seemed very interested in learning more about official baseball rules and solid field mechanics. Most of the attendees were experienced umpires, and it was evident in their appearance and body language. As the leadership expressed the objectives for R.U.N, I recognized that I had a lot to learn and began to feel as if I was in over my head. After finishing the rules discussion, my anxiety increased as it was time to move on to the live training.

As they called my name to put on a face mask and step behind the plate, I found myself experiencing the uneasiness of an unknown situation. I was surrounded by a bunch of strangers and felt tempted to simply let the next guy go ahead of me. However, I turned my thoughts to God and asked him to guide me as I began to suit up.

With my nerves in full gear, I assumed my brand new stance behind the catcher and watched the first pitch cross the plate. In that split second, I felt a rush of adrenaline and instantly knew that being an umpire is something that I would sincerely enjoy. I immediately stood upright, turned to the right and pointed my finger as I yelled confidently for the first time as an umpire, "Strike!"

It is not everyday that an opportunity to take on something that pushes us out of our comfort zones enters our lives. Even though fear and anxiety might try to hold us back, we should take advantage of the opportunity and look at it as a chance to strengthen our overall character. I believe God wants us to push ourselves to stretch beyond our 'limits' and purposely provides us with these chances to become stronger people. After rising above these challenges by giving our all, God will reward our courage and we will be that much closer to becoming the person we are meant to be...