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Literature
School Event
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 would never be forgotten by all that attended.
After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a 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. The father continued. "I believe," the father
answered, "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:
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 the 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 in 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
was still behind by three. At 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. Now, with
two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base.
Shay was scheduled to be the next at-bat. 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 a few steps to 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 to toss the ball softly toward Shay. As the pitch
came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball to the pitcher.
The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could easily have thrown the
ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have
ended the game. Instead, the pitcher took the ball and threw it on a high
arc to right field, far beyond reach of the first baseman.
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 yelled, "run to second,
run to second!"
By the time Shay was rounding first base, the right fielder had the ball.
He could have thrown the ball to the second baseman for a tag. But the
right fielder understood what the pitcher's intentions had been, so he
threw the ball high and far over the third baseman's head. Shay ran towards
second base as the runners ahead of him deliriously circled the bases
towards home.
As Shay reached second base, the opposing shortstop ran to him, turned
him in the direction of third base, and shouted, "run to third!"
As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams were screaming, "Shay!
Run home!"
Shay ran home, stepped on home plate and was cheered 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.
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