The people in our life should trust us ESPECIALLY when they don’t understand
When I was in 6th grade, I was consumed with athletics. It didn’t matter what it was. I would watch Monday night football, and Saturday morning tennis and baseball throughout the week, if it was on our 3-channel TV.
No other way to say it, I LOVED sports and to a lesser degree, still do.
By the time I was in 6th grade, I was beginning to long to compete and not just watch. I had played on several sports teams by that time and I was squarely in the middle of the pack of talent, size, speed and agility compared to my classmates.
The annual middle school field day was approaching!
In order to begin to prove my athletic worth, I began “training” for the upcoming field day held at my middle school. I entered all of the races available to me, including the “400 YARD DASH”.
As a 6th grader, I had no clue to the distance of 400 yards. We didn’t have a proper football field nor did we have a round track. So that distance was meaningless to me.
My dad was curious
I started training in the front yard. I would run back and forth in front of the main windows of the house in full view for my dad to watch. Eventually, he got curious and he walked outside to ask “what are you doing, son?”
“I am training for the 400-yard dash – and I’m gonna win!”
He asked me so simple a question and I answered with full IGNORANANT CONFIDENCE.
He asked me to demonstrate to him – using our front yard – the actual distance covered by 400 yards.
I WAS WAY OFF.
THE PROMISE THAT CHANGED ME
He then said, “If you do exactly as I say, I promise you that you will win the race.”
PLAIN AND SIMPLE
He said, just like I had done, all the other boys will underestimate the distance and will shoot out of the gate just to tire out around half way. They will run out of gas.
I could NOT comprehend his next suggestion
So, he said that in order for me to win, I would have to jog for the first 150 yards then turn on the jets. At almost the half-way mark, run with all you’ve got. You WILL BE BEHIND. DON’T GET DISCOURAGED.
MY DAD IS CRAZY!
This line of instruction made no sense to my 6th grade mind. None whatsoever. How do you win a race in which you intentionally fall WAY behind??? This was stupid advise. Almost reckless. I could ruin my sports reputation. (Middle schoolers can be a bit dramatic)
On race day, I had a difficult decision to make.
Do I go with my own inexperienced instincts?
Or, do I trust my dad?
Not everyone grows up with a dad like mine. Completely trustworthy. Honest. Caring. Smart.
So, in my mind I said, “My dad has never let me down before, I am going to do what he said, EVEN THOUGH I DON’T UNDERSTAND.”
Honestly, looking back, the results of the race didn’t matter
When I look back at that pivotal moment, the moment when I began to understand the word “FAITH” in its practical meaning, the results of the race were secondary to the lesson learned.
Am I being the leader/father/husband/friend that people will BLINDLY trust?
Do I trust my Heavenly Father the same way when HE asks me to do something I don’t understand?
Do my kids think of me as someone who they trust SO MUCH that they follow my suggestions without regard to their status?
Parents – Are you living a trustworthy life?
Business leader/boss – Are you leading with enough integrity that when changes come your people will follow because they trust you?
Yes, I won. I won big! I blew everyone’s doors off. I probably won by 20 or more yards! It was thrilling! I was so excited! At the end of the day, my “middle of the pack” athletic ability had climbed the corporate ladder and I was now sitting atop the middle school athletic world as the fastest kid in school.
I went on to win a second race that day. The shorter 100-yard dash. A race that my friends and I had done before and – you guessed it – I had finished in the middle of the pack. But not that day. On the faithful field day in 1985, I had learned a valuable lesson.
The local newspaper was kind enough to commemorate my LIFE LESSON in a small article in the sports section.
