{"id":15252,"date":"2025-02-26T10:14:26","date_gmt":"2025-02-26T15:14:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=15252"},"modified":"2025-02-26T10:14:26","modified_gmt":"2025-02-26T15:14:26","slug":"the-beauty-of-the-barren-strike","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/intramuralist.com\/?p=15252","title":{"rendered":"the beauty of the barren strike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[As we continue to attempt to promote wisdom and respect in this world, when I recently came across this post written 10 years ago this week, it felt indeed worth an updated run\u2026]<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

* * * * *<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All week I\u2019ve been wrestling with the encouragement to become like a child\u2026 to think like a child\u2026 that there\u2019s something about being childlike that\u2019s actually good!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I struggle with that sometimes\u2026 holding on too tightly, perhaps, to all the knowledge, intelligence, and experience \u2014 like it or not \u2014 that accompanies us into adulthood\u2026 believing that\u2019s all so beneficial and so much more vital than being a kid. And then a tiny moment reminds me that adulthood often serves as more of an impediment than any perch of wisdom\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last weekend I had opportunity to get away for the weekend for some fun and reflection. While away, my spouse took two of my sons bowling. While bowling is not a frequent activity for our household, when it occurs, it is typically met with ample enthusiasm. It also can become quite competitive, as we tend to enjoy competitive exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My hub was pleased; he still has it after all these years. My seventeen year old was also pleased; he enjoys his share of athletic success. And then there was my son, Josh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As has been referenced here on multiple occasions, Josh is a thriving, articulate teenage boy. He does all those things fourteen year olds typically tend to do\u2026 talk, text, try to sneak a few things by the parents. Josh also has Down syndrome.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the beautiful things about Josh\u2019s \u201cspecial need\u201d is that it seems to maintain that childhood status to some degree\u2026 acting like a child\u2026 thinking like a child. But it\u2019s made me ask, \u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I wish I had an easy answer. For a while, I camped on the concept of equating being like a child to something simpler \u2014 simpler thinking, something not as complex. But that doesn\u2019t totally make sense to me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I wrestled with the idea of a \u201cchildlike faith\u201d and all those misapplications\u2026  maybe not needing all the things we seemingly intelligent adults need to prove that we\u2019re right\u2026 \u201cNo, we won\u2019t believe\u2026 we won\u2019t believe in something until they can prove it to us! We will not be fooled! Fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, well\u2026\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something about that doesn\u2019t seem quite right either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A wise friend then summed it up for me in eight words\u2026 eight words. To become like a child means to ask oneself: \u201cwhat if I could lay aside my fear?\u201d <\/em><\/strong>\u2026 my fear of being wrong\u2026 my fear of not being perfect\u2026 my fear of failure\u2026 my fear of not looking good\u2026 my fear of needing someone or something more\u2026 What if I could lay aside my fear?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What would I do? What would I think? How would I change? How would I grow?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I returned home for the weekend, Josh was sitting on the outside porch, eagerly waiting my return. After a few, semi-subtle bear hugs and joyful jumps of unparalleled glee, Josh said, \u201cMom, Mom, guess what? Guess what?! You\u2019re never going to believe this!!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note that my spouse had warned me that Josh might be a little discouraged after the bowling outing. They bowled two games without the bumpers. Josh scored a 40 and a 22. That\u2019s averaging a mere four and a little more than two pins per frame. Hence, by all intellectual accounts, Josh bowled pretty poorly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But Josh says, \u201cI did it, Mom! I did it! I got my first strike without the bumpers!!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The kid was overjoyed. Embedded in his ten-frame score of 22, there was a single strike \u2014 a strike both preceded and succeeded by gutter after gutter ball. Instead of being emotionally pierced by any ball in the gutter, Josh only saw what was best. He was not deterred by any knowledge or experience\u2026 \u201cI got my first strike!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

May we never miss the beauty of the barren strike. May knowledge and experience never deter us from seeing what is good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Respectfully\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[As we continue to attempt to promote wisdom and respect in this world, when I recently came across this post written 10 years ago this week, it felt indeed worth an updated run\u2026] * * * * * All week I\u2019ve been wrestling with the encouragement to become like a child\u2026 to think like a … <\/p>\n

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