Day 32 - The Love of the Game

Sometimes parents try to live their lives through their children. I think this happens more often than not, but little is known because the experiment fails early on.  Looking back we think we had our children's best interests in mind, but sadly we were not experienced enough ourselves to realize what we were doing. And so we did the best we could.

I just watched an older movie, "In Search of Bobby Fischer" about a young chess player, another child prodigy much like Fischer, except his love of the game came not from competition with others in a room of contest participants but from playing in the park with people who were described as drug addicts and winos...losers in the eyes of the "teachers." Yet, it is where he first discovered his natural talent, and it is where he found his game. This young man had a heart of compassion, and his life was a bit more rounded out, because he did not live just for this game.  He played many sports, and he loved to go fishing with his father. 

The important thing was that his father learned an important lesson in his son's early years of competition. His father learned that "it's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play" that matters. He looked at his son's heart, his concern for the welfare of others, and he learned to "see" through his young son's eyes.  He saw, as his wife had seen all along, the true spirit of his son.  It was not about chess, he enjoyed laughing and gaming, in essence, he loved living. So after firing the teacher he took his son back to the park and fishing before a tell all competition which he won.

I thank God for parents who, after learning that they have been blessed with a gifted child, allow that child to become exactly who he or she were intended to be. It's a hard lesson sometimes, but if we are just willing to take the risk, allowing them their freedom within bounds and with instruction, we see the wonder of God played out in their young lives and leading on into the person they were intended to be. Encourage them naturally, but love them just as they are always. Then leave the rest to God.