The Divine Plan
At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves learning-disabled children, the father of one of the school's students delivered a speech that will never be forgotten by those who attended.
After praising the school and its dedicated staff, he posed a challenging question. “Everything God does is done with perfection. Yet, my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is God's plan reflected in my son?” The audience was stilled by the query.
“I believe,” the father continued, “that when God brings a child like Shay into the world, an opportunity to realize the Divine Plan presents itself. And it comes in the way people treat that child.”
Then, he told the following story.
Baseball in the Park
Shay and his father had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, “Do you think they will let me play?”
Shay's father knew that most boys would not want him on their team. But the father understood that if his son were allowed to play it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging.
Shay's father approached one of the boys on the field and asked if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance from his teammates. Getting none, he took matters into his own hands and said, “We are losing by six runs, and the game is the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him up to bat in the ninth inning.” In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but still trailed by three.
In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the outfield. Although no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be on the field, grinning from ear to ear as his father waved to him from the stands.
In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again, and suddenly, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base. Shay was scheduled to be the next batter. Would the team actually let Shay bat at this juncture and give away their chance to win the game?
Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher moved forward a few steps so he could lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least be able to make contact.
The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward and tossed the ball softly toward Shay. This time, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow grounder to the pitcher. The pitcher picked up the ball and could easily have thrown it to the first baseman to retire Shay and end the game. But instead, after a glance back at Shay, he threw it in a high arc far above the reach of the first baseman and out into right field.
Hailed As the Hero
Everyone started yelling, “Shay, run to first! Run to first!” Never in his life had Shay ever made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone then yelled, “Run to second, Shay! Go, kid! Go!”
By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had picked up the ball. He could have fired it in to the second baseman for a tag. But, understanding what the pitcher's intentions had been, he threw the ball instead high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay lumbered towards second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases towards home.
As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran up to him, turned him in the direction of third, and shouted, “Run to third!” As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, “Shay! Run home!”
Flushed with excitement and gasping for air, Shay ran home and stepped on the plate to the raucous cheers of his teammates. He was hailed as the hero for hitting a “grand slam” and winning the game for his team.
“That day,” said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, “the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of the Divine Plan into this world.”
