Long Toss

So Moses said to Joshua, "Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand."
Joshua did as Moses told him, and fought against Amalek; and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
So it came about when Moses held his hand up, that Israel prevailed, and when he let his hand down, Amalek prevailed.
But Moses' hands were heavy. Then they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it; and Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side and one on the other. Thus his hands were steady until the sun set.
So Joshua overwhelmed Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
Exodus 17:9-13

Years ago in beautiful Turner Field, home of the Atlanta Braves, we watched Greg Maddox and Eddie Perez take the field early for a friendly ‘game’ of long toss. Maddox was not scheduled to take the bump that night, so he and Perez came out early to get their throwing reps in. Long toss, an arm strengthening drill, has long been used by pitchers and catchers in America’s Pastime. This night, Perez lined up on the right field foul line midway between first and the outfield wall. Maddox walked out behind second base in center field. As they began throwing, Maddox retreated a few steps at a time, until he was eventually very near the left field line.

The throws these two pros were making were simply amazing. Perez would position his catcher’s mitt at his chest, plant his legs, basically saying, "Come on Greg, hit the spot!" Maddox would throw a frozen rope (well, maybe with a little arch) and hit Perez in the chest. The early crowd began to cheer each throw, as dads and kids alike sat and dreamed.

Living with a catcher, the same drill has been routine at our house for years. There is one problem, however, SteveO and I are going in opposite directions. He is getting stronger and I am getting weaker. My right arm is shot, and I cannot make the length of our front yard anymore, much less the length of our neighbor’s on either side. He makes this "three front yard" throw with ease, I can only look on with the amazement of when I watched Greg Maddox.

Well, still being a tad smarter than a 15 year old , I figured out a way to keep the old long toss game going. One bucket full of 30 or so baseballs on his end, an empty bucket on my end. I catch, drop in the bucket, when his bucket is empty, we swap places. I do the same thing that Perez does, place a catcher’s mitt over my chest and dare him to hit the mitt from about three driveways apart. Game is still alive. Dad and son are still playing. His arm is getting conditioned.

I guess I call this innovation and accommodation. It is the thing I see everyday where I work, seeing people with disabilities take full advantage of the American Dream. We even have a Rehab Engineer on staff who can go into a business and carve out a work setting to fit the furniture, work setting, etc to the person’s disability.

We had an awards luncheon recently. An Iraq Vet got an award as "Employee of the Year" (A mortar blast caused massive head trauma, resulting in loss of function on his right side and other major challenges). With the help of several agencies, he went to work with a computer/ IT company and told them in the interview he was not interested in being hired as a PR move, he wanted to work. After he finished the acceptance speech, I noticed Allie wiping her eyes. It was difficult to tell through my own mist, but I think the whole crowd was in the same shape.

Innovation and accommodation. It looks like the thing that Aaron and Hur did for Moses as that young Army Ranger Joshua and company took care of business. I can look back in life and vividly remember those caring souls who God moved in my path to hold up my arms.

Dear reader, you are remembering them too. Have you thanked them lately? Have you "paid it forward"? Have you thanked Him for His personal touch in your life through others? I am asking myself these questions...

SteveO and I are still doing something we started when he was four years old, as Ray Kinsella said to his dad in Field of Dreams, "Hey....Dad? You wanna have a catch?" John Kinsella replied simply, "I’d like that."

Mark
Prov.17:22
A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.