The Shepherd Leads & I Will Let Him (Sugar Sober Series)
8October 27, 2014 by Beth Hess
When Derek Jeter retired from baseball earlier this year, he had stepped into a Major League batters box 12,602 times. More than a third of the time, he got on base.
He had great game awareness, ball placement, situational understanding, and pure talent. Unarguably one of baseball’s greats. A future Hall of Famer.
So why did he need Rob Thomson?
Who?
Rob Thomson. The Yankees third base coach for the last six seasons.
The one who communicates the plays. The one who dictates a swing vs. a take. The one who signals hit-and-run. The one who relays countless messages to batters and base-runners alike.
The one Derek Jeter deferred to.
Standard rules apply in baseball. 3 strikes for an out. 4 balls is a walk.
The game also has rules of thumb. Typical, but not hard and fast. When the count is 3-0, take a pitch. Don’t bunt with 2 outs.
But most of baseball is about strategy based on the situation. What you did at the last at bat may not work this time.
You have to check with the coach every single visit to the plate. Sometimes every pitch.
Because no matter how much wisdom you have. Or talent. Or luck. Or experience. You still can’t see the whole field all the time. And you aren’t privy to the entire game plan.
God is my Third Base Coach.
He directs my actions. He is the guard at the gate of my lips. Saving me from myself. On my own, I might make decisions for the moment, not for the good of my long-term self.
So I check in. I follow His lead.
I Can’t. He Can. I Will Let Him.
(Tomorrow… How can I understand His signs & What does every moment surrender look like for me?)
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In response to the 31 Day blogging challenge, I will be publishing EVERY DAY in October while I stay sugar-free. You can read previous posts HERE. To be alerted to new posts, please follow me on Facebook or Twitter using the links on the right side of this page. Or Subscribe to get posts sent to your Email. Feel free to Tweet your own experiences with #sugarsoberoctober as well.
PLEASE use the comment section to share your own thoughts, questions, or experiences. Like any road, sugar sobriety is one more easily walked with friends. I do my best to reply to every comment.
Just Be Beth 
[…] Fortunately, the sheep are never asked to fight the lions alone. That is Shepherd work. Day 27: Letting God Lead (God is my 3rd Base Coach): He directs my actions. He is the guard at the gate of my lips. Saving me from myself. On my own, I […]
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[…] if God is to be my Shepherd, my Coach, how do I know what He sounds […]
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I’ve had trouble keeping up! And I LOVE this analogy. I played softball for 12+ years. I want “God is My Third Base Coach” in a picture somehow. Maybe I’ll make one. (Super well written, by the way. I look forward to sitting back with a hot mug of tea sometime and catching up on your posts. I pray Sugar Sober is going well!)
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Leah… I would LOVE to have a picture of that. Be sure to let me know if you make one. I trust that God will bring you to these posts at just the right time for you. Grateful for your words.
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My hubby is a huge baseball fan, and I love sports. So, this was a great analogy. All athletes have a coach somewhere in their lives, someone who directs them and guides them in the way to play their very best.
I want that, too!
GOD BLESS!
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Sometimes I even literally find myself turning my head to the left to “glance down the baseline” and get my signals from The Spirit. I’m a big baseball fan, too, so the analogy really words for me.
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I love this comparison to the Third Base Coach. I had no idea this is what this guy does. And just as each “at bat” is different and has to be approached as the unique situation it is with its own dynamics, so it is with our meal times. Every one of them is different. So thankful that God is on the job each time and that He can see the whole picture from where He is. He is there, my friend, cheering you on…..so am I. 🙂
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You bless me, Cheryl. Your presence here with me on this journey to freedom refreshes me daily. Thank you!
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