The Smyrna Bugs story is about a travel baseball team that began in 2006 in middle Tennessee. They are a team that has won the title of state champs 3-times. They have always been a hard-working team with some talent and a lot of ‘team’. They are a team who can walk on field and beat or scratch out a win most of the time. They have prayed as a team for years and invited other teams to pray with them following games. They conduct chapel services and/or devotionals when they play games on Sunday mornings.
A lot of life’s lessons are learned at these games. The team meetings after every game are always a combination of game evaluation and life application.
However, as we continued to win, practice and focus seemed to start to slack. The things that brought the wins began to slowly drift…and we did not see it because the drift was so slow.
Lackadaisical becomes the descriptive word of our hustle. Recently the Bugs experienced a tough, unexpected loss which caused us to look back and see where we had drifted. We began to evaluate every act, every practice, every swing, every pitch…what is it? Then a parent reminded us that we no longer prayed before or after the games. Instead of more practice or running to help us not lose, what about getting back to priorities. We can stop the drift by getting back to the basics of playing and praying as a team. Remember God is in control and giving Him glory is what needs to be our focus.
Drift is not only in baseball. Every one of us experience drift in our lives. When was the last time you stopped to check and to see if you have drifted from God? You may lead at church, be a leader at work, of a team, or even in your family; have you drifted? What unexpected loss or tough situation will it take for you to realize the drift is happening?
Don’t wait for drift to come in your life before you get back to God!
The Bugs turned it around and pray before and after games with other teams as appropriate and are experiencing more team unity and morale than ever before. Now, I did not say we are winning every game, but we understand there is more to life and team than winning.
Learn from the Bugs: check to see if you have drifted and make necessary changes to stop the drift.
