Why I Love Playing “Super-Soft” Ball
The blessing of an unexpected enjoyment
When I was in school, I was always among the last chosen for any sports team. I’m not very athletic in that way. I walk and hike a great deal. I also love to kayak. But sports never held much enjoyment for me until, praise God, I started playing with some friends a very modified form of softball.
In the title I called it “super-soft” ball because it really is super soft. It’s not competitive, and we all cheer for whoever is batting, whoever caches the ball, whoever hits the ball, whoever runs to a base and whoever makes a run. It doesn’t matter what team you’re on because you’re going to cheer for everyone anyway.
It all started a few years ago when of a wonderful family came to visit from Chicago. They are among my dearest friends in my spiritual community.
By God’s grace, they have been coming around this time of year now for many years. They stay with dear friends who live just down our dirt road at the corner where you first turn onto the road from a paved street. Sabah, in whose house they stay when they come here, also plays with us. Lydia too joins, bringing her dog Sky.
Rizwan, an especially warm and loving man, interacts with his wonderful wife Noorjahan and their two amazing children Salaa, and Amaar. When we play the super softball together, Rizwan coaches us all. He shows us how to hold the bat, encourages whoever is pitching, catching, running or throwing the ball.
Lydia also helps a great deal both as a coach and by pitching for us. When my feet are bothering me, she also runs for me when I am up to bat. That is unless she is the pitcher!
Each of us does as well as we can, and as I said above, we all cheer for each other. This kind of blessed cooperation has made the games we play together, not only more fun, but much more of an opportunity to grow our souls. As the Quran says:
Tell My servants to treat each other in the best possible manner, for the devil will always try to drive a wedge among them. Surely, the devil is man’s most ardent enemy. (17:53)
It seems as if when we are able to follow this good advice, life is much more fun and everyone benefits. We certainly don’t want to encourage Satan to drive those wedges among us and thus cause all sorts of difficulties among people we care about.
I hope and pray that you have had similar experiences with your spiritual family, because they have definitely made my life much happier and helped me to come ever closer to my Creator.
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