It’s easy to get caught up in the busyness of our own lives. The day to day monotony or stress we face often consumes our thoughts and actions. This year has been a huge transition for me, there’s been a lot to learn about and adjust to. The daily grind of learning and coaching, combined with a very young team that is also learning, has made me want to focus even more on the things I know I can control.
It’s been tough being away from home and living on a different time schedule than most of my friends and family are. Baseball can be a very isolating profession, but only if we allow it to be. This weekend we had a day off in the beautiful city of Charleston, South Carolina. My wife came up to spend the day with me and we decided that we wouldn’t focus on anything but being together. Finally, after three months of juggling everything and trying to not let any balls drop, I was able to lift up my eyes, let go of what I couldn’t control, and enjoy being in the moment.
Isaiah 40:26 is a great reminder that we aren’t supposed to control everything, God already does, and He isn’t missing anything.
“Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one
And calls forth each of them by name.
Because of His great power and mighty strength,
Not one of them is missing.” —Isaiah 40:26
By pausing and lifting my eyes up, I was able to have the most amazing day. We choose to visit Water Mission to see how our friends Molly and George Greene and their team are using their gifts to make an impact around the world through clean water and sanitation projects. We got to hear how God placed each member of their team in the right place at the right time for God to work through them in great ways. And often, God’s plan completely changed what the team members thought they would be doing in life. It was a great reminder to me that although all the “nose to the grindstone” stuff is good, I need to lift my eyes up in order to see how God wants to work through me right where I am.
—Eddie Taubensee
Eddie Taubensee is currently the hitting coach for the Augusta GreenJackets (Class A Minor League Affiliate of the San Francisco Giants) and also serves as the Director of Baseball Ministry for The Increase. Eddie played 11 seasons as a catcher in the Major Leagues with the Reds, Indians and Astros.
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