My Dad: Being On the Team

When I was a child, my dad played on the church baseball team. Back then, they wore uniforms and traveled across Texas to compete. I loved going to the games, watching the players and feeling the excitement of the sport.

One day, I noticed that game after game, Dad didn’t play. He sat on the bench, cheering his team on with quiet enthusiasm. I finally asked him, “Dad, are you sad you’re not out there playing?” His answer has stayed with me.

He said, “I know I don’t play as well as the others. But I’m part of the team in case they need me. I’m here to support them, and I’ll do my best in whatever way I’m needed.”

What I came to understand, but couldn’t grasp as a child, is that he was teaching me something far bigger than baseball. He was showing me that he wasn’t on the team for himself. He wasn’t there for glory or attention. He was there for them. He wanted to support his teammates, to cheer them on, to be steady and ready whenever they needed him. His presence was an act of love, not performance.

At the time, I didn’t fully understand. I was young, and the bench seemed like a place of exclusion. But now, years later, I see it differently. Dad wasn’t sidelined, he was showing up. He was making a statement: I’m on your team. I don’t need the spotlight. I’m here if you need me, and I’ll serve in whatever way I can.

That quiet kind of love has shaped me more than I realized. It taught me that being present matters. That support doesn’t always look like center stage. That humility is a strength, not a weakness.

And now, I’ve come to understand something even deeper: I want to show up in all I do. I want it known, by the way I dress, the way I speak, the way I serve, that I am on Jesus Christ’s team. I want to serve as He does.

Not looking for fanfare, but with constancy. With quiet presence. With readiness. With love that says, I’m here. I’ll do whatever is needed.

Dad’s place on the bench wasn’t passive, it was powerful. It was a lesson in loyalty, humility, and love that doesn’t need applause. And now, when I find myself in roles that feel small or unseen, I remember him. I remember that showing up, cheering others on, and being ready to serve is sometimes the most Christlike thing we can do.

I love you dad!