This is the third post in a series on contentment I am doing.  If you would like to see the first two, please read Glory in the Grind . . . and Contentment. . . my on-going struggle.

Jeremy Noonan, Julian Krevere, John Gunter, Phil Autry, and Troy Coons this summer (we are as close as ever). . .

A little while ago, a good friend of mine asked me, “when have you ever felt ‘this is it’”?  This was just another way of asking, when in life have you been completely content.  The more I thought about this question, three images or pictures kept coming to mind.  All three pictures are representative of larger themes of contentment in my life.

The first picture. . . an image of me playing centerfield in summer baseball comes to mind.  I remember so clearly standing out in the worn out patch of grass in centerfield, breathing in the air, enjoying the camaraderie of my teammates, no school to worry about, just the joy of baseball and friends.  There was zero pressure of failure, as summer ball was largely just for fun and practice.  There were almost no fans.  I don’t even remember my parents being there, which was highly unusual.  Just teammates, coaches, the sun, competition (hard fought, yet winning and losing was not utmost in our minds), and joy.

I wasn’t worried about the future.  I wasn’t weighed down past mistakes.  I just played, laughed, enjoyed, worked, sweat, bled, and loved every minute of it.  When I would leave the field, things would get more confusing.  Teammates sometimes became conduits of sin.  Coaches became avenues of stress.  Even talents became expectations, which would funnel into the fears of unrealized dreams and failure.  However, [Read more…]