For The Love Of The Game

 

Spring is in the air and that means the weather is starting to become warmer and the trees and plants are beginning to look beautiful as God made them. The warmer weather also signals the time where the baseball season starts and that is a great thing for this guy. Baseball has been one of my many passions since I came to learn about it when I was 6 years old. I used to always want to get the paper and flip straight to the sports page, more specifically the baseball section. The box scores and game recaps were things of great reading while I was growing up. Living in Atlanta, the team I have always rooted for has been the Atlanta Braves. Through the nineties, they pretty much were winning the division with amazing pitching from players like John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux. With 14 National league titles and a World Championship won during the ninties, the Braves made themselves a team of force to reckon with. My favorite game to watch is a pitching duel between two great pitchers. I got to witness this and still love watching replays of it from the 1991 World Series Game 7 between John Smoltz and Jack Morris. The Braves lost the game, but it was an amazing game and baseball at its best!

 As some one who has Tourette Syndrome, playing sports was something that helped to relieve me of stress and take the focus off of tics. I still remember having tics that made it difficult when I was running as well as fielding when I was playing on defense. I pretty much played in the outfield and the tics drove me crazy while standing out there by myself for long periods of time. I also seemed to have this anxiety feeling whenever I was fielding and wanted the ball to go anywhere but where I was because of the fear that I would do something that would hurt the momentum that our team had or make the other team pound us even more with hits and runs. Even though I had this feeling, I still wanted to do well and help my team as much as possible to win the game. That competitive spirit still stood within me even though I had thoughts that would make me think otherwise. For anyone who is unsure how they will perform or that they are not doing what they could, stick with what you love and know that hard work does pay off when you strive to succeed.

Growing up I played baseball from the ages of 7 to 15 in a church league. My best year in the church league was my last one where we won the championship and during the season I had one game where I was hit by a pitch and then the next at bat got my very first triple. It was an amazing feeling and a great accomplishment that I felt at that time. I still continue to play, but usually it is whenever I can find time to grab a mitt or bat. The smell of the freshly cut grass at the beginning of the spring and each game is a memory that is etched in my mind since I started playing. Peanuts and cracker jacks are essentials at the ballpark as well as hearing the umpire yell, "You're Out!" after the batter gets three strikes. Even though, there are players that have used steroids and other enhancement drugs to increase their performance, I still feel that this sport is one of the best when it is at its purest form. Nothing beats standing in a box looking at a pitcher and knowing that one pitch could change the complete outcome of the game.

The Week Everything Changed

It is spring time and April which usually means one thing, that Easter upon us. For many this is a time to eat candy and look out for the a big bunny. Lost in this, though, is the Holy week that led up to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This week is important in the Christian religion during this time, although the events should be remembered all throughout the year since it is through the blood that was shed by Jesus Christ that we are able to experience a relationship with God and eternal life. Here is how the week plays out:

I. Palm Sunday
The week begins with Jesus beginning his journey to Jerusalem near Bethphage and Bethany. Jesus instructs two of his disciples to go and get him a colt that is untied. This action will lead to Jesus fulfilling the prophecy foretold in Zechariah 9:9, "Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey." Once riding in to the city, there are cries of "Blessed is the King who come in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"(Luke 19:37) How quick these people were to cheer for Jesus and not really knowing the true purpose of his visit as these same people would later be calling for his death by the end of this week.

II. Clearing the Temple Monday
The next day we find Jesus coming to the temple and seeing it overrun by the corrupt money changers. He then begins to turn over the tables and clear the temple saying, "It is written, My house shall be a house of prayer, but you have made it a den of robbers." (Luke 19:46) After this he began his teaching in the temple with the chief priests and scribes looking to destroy or arrest him, but could not find a reason.

III. Mount of Olives Tuesday
This day included many of the teachings that Jesus did in his last days at the Mount of Olives as well as the challenging of the Jewish leaders of the authority of Jesus. The challenging of Jesus starts with the scribes and chief priests sending spies to ask him about taxes. "Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?" (Luke 20:22) To which Jesus did not directly answer, but asked for a coin and from this asked whose face was on it. They replied with Caesar, to which Jesus responded by saying, "render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's" (Luke 20:25) This means that we are to pay secular (worldly) duties to those of the world and to God, what is his.

After this, Jesus is questioned by the Sadducees about the resurrection. "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother." (Luke 20:28) They were confused and wondered who the woman would marry when she was dead. Jesus ended up responding to them saying, "those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage" (Luke 20:34) This means that the woman would not be married to any other person after she has died.

Jesus was also questioned on which commandment that he thought was the greatest. "Which commandment is the most important of all?" (Mark 12:28) Jesus ended up responding to this question by stating that there are two commandments, which both consist of love. These are love for God (Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and love for your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18).

These questions were asked to try and stump Jesus or get him to admit to spreading false information, but in turn they were unsuccessful in their attempts and had to walk away without anything else to say.

IV. Betrayal Wednesday
The mid day of the week was one where everything seemed quiet, but there was many things going on since this is where Judas went to deceive Jesus and got to the chief priests and scribes. These Jewish leaders were still looking for a way to arrest Jesus and have him put to death for blasphemy. "He went away and conferred with the chief priests and officers how he might betray him to them." (Luke 22:4).

V. Passover Thursday
After the betrayal of Judas happens the day before, the downturn towards the death of Christ continues on this day. During this day the Passover occurs which happened on the day of Unleavened Bread, for which the Passover lamb was sacrificed. There was also the Lord's Supper which occurred. During the Lord's Supper, Jesus breaks bread and shares wine. The representation of Christ's body is by the bread, "And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." (Luke 22:19) and his blood is by the wine, "This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood." (Luke 22:20).

During this night Jesus also foretells of the denial of Peter as well as their being a dispute among the disciples as to which once was the greatest. Jesus also goes during this time to the garden of Gethsemane where he prays to God. It is here where he wrestles with the coming events and asks the Father to remove the cup of wrath from him, although he knows that that will not be the Lord's will. An angel from heaven comes to help give him strength during this time because it is during this time that also because of the agony he was going through that, "he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground." (Luke 22:44). The temptation to not go through with the death became so great that he was literally sweating blood, but came to the contentment that it was God's will for him to die for the sins of the world.

VI. Good Friday
This day was the hardest day in the life of Jesus and it dealt with the final hours of his life leading to death on a cross at the end of the day. The events begin with Judas Iscariot coming to Jesus in the garden with the Jewish leaders and betraying Jesus with a kiss, "The one I will kiss is the man." (Mark 14:44). After this action, though, Judas ends up feeling remorse and goes and hangs himself on a tree.

After this Jesus had to deal with false accusations, condemnation, mockery and abandonment. He ended up going through many trials, which seemed fixed and only ended up condemning him more. He was delivered to Pilate who brought him in front of the Jewish people, who all cried out, "Crucify, crucify him!" (Luke 23:21). He was then led to away after being condemned to a capital punishment of crucifixion. During this, he is tormented, mocked and spit upon. He also had to carry his own cross to the site where his death would occur. Once, at Calvary, he was again mocked and nailed to the old, rugged cross. On the cross during the mockery, Jesus says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34).

From the sixth hour to the ninth hour, there was a darkness over the land and it was here that the temple was torn in two and Jesus called out to the Father, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" (Luke 23:46). After this, Jesus took his last breath and died. After his death, Joseph of Arimathea, took his body and had it laid in a tomb.

VII. Buried in the Tomb Saturday
During this day, many of the people rested because it was the Sabbath. The body of Jesus was guarded by Roman Soldiers during the day on Saturday. After the Sabbath was over, women came with Joseph to the tomb to treat the body of Jesus with spices and ointments.

VII. Resurrection Sunday!
This is the day where everything changed. The final day of the Holy Week has come and the resurrection of Jesus Christ has occurred. This is the part that is the most important, as because if Christ has not risen then our faith is in vain. The truth, though, is that he has risen and our faith is secure in Jesus Christ if we just believe in him. This truly is great news!

When the women went to go back to the tomb to put more spices and ointment on the body of Christ, they end up finding out that the body is gone. An angel said to them while they were confused, "Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen" (Luke 24:5)

During his resurrection, Christ appeared at least five different times to his followers. The gospel accounts of the eyewitnesses that occurred show undeniable evidence that the resurrection of Jesus actually happened. Many of the followers of Christ right after this time, ended up dying very gruesome deaths for their faith and willingness to not deny Christ when they were forced to. The empty tomb is one of the strong cases for the actual resurrection of Christ, that still today people flock to the area to get a chance to see the exact tomb that he was buried in, even some 2,000 years later.

The Working Life

One of the hardest things to do everyday is to get up and go to work knowing that there is going to be lots of stress involved. Work usually equals stress at some point, no matter how much you try to deny it. Stress can also be a big contributor to tics and anxiety being pushed through the roof. Normal tasks that may seem easy for most people to take on, may end up being a little more difficult for someone who has Tourettes. Ever since I have started to work, stress has always been there and that means my tics tend to be at their very worst during this time. Facial tics are the ones that always end up rearing their ugly heads when I feel that I am being pressed for time or taking on too much work than I should be. This usually ends up causing my neck to start twitching because of anxiety leading to many of the back problems that I have been currently experiencing. It is hard to explain TS, though, to a boss because they may see it as being just an excuse to get out of doing work to be lazy or as a sign that what they expect is not something that will ever be lived up to. Even trying to tell other employees could end up getting unwanted stares, even though all you are trying to do is educate them. Sometimes it seems like the best thing to do is to be quiet about it and work as hard as you can to get the work done. Some of the best ways that I try to cope with this stress to help me get through the work day include:

• Holding the tics in (this may be good for some days, but others can be extremely difficult as well as painful)
• Not caring and just letting the tics fly when they come (can really help, but makes me look weird causing others to stare)
• Putting my focus on the work that I am doing (can help as long as there is lots of work that needs to be done)
• Walking away from the work and taking a few minutes for a break (can really help to destressed and allow tics to come out that may be been suppressed)
• Taking deep breaths (puts focus off of the work and to a relaxing state of mind)
• Saying a little prayer to God (God is the one who is ultimately in control of the situation and praying is always the best stress reliever)

No matter the situation or method that is used, the best way to look at the work day is to focus on those things that can be controlled and to not put much pressure on those that are not able to be controlled. Those things that are not controlled are best left up to God and his purposes for letting them happen (since he is the one that is sovereign). One thing I have noticed is that some people will understand the disability or want to know more, while others tend to not care and demand work still get done or they will find someone else to do the job. The latter might not be the best way to approach the situation, but it seems to be the attitude of many who choose to stay in the dark about Tourette Syndrome or other little known about disabilities. I will say that I have not always had the most glorious jobs, but I do find the rewards that I can get from them when they do come. This in turn can help to be one of my motivators when the stress does come and to know that it is just a part of the working life. Hope that this has helped in understanding some of the issues that a person with TS might have in the work environment as well as some ways that can be used to help deal with that stress (whether you have TS or not). Feel free to comment or ask any questions. Thanks for reading and until next time, Take care and God Bless!