October 2015 – The Turning Points of Life

Precise Positioning

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in San Diego. Carol and I journeyed north to attend morning service at our church in Vista, California. After service we visited with our fellow members and then left for home. On the way we planned our afternoon.

After a light lunch at home, Carol would visit her 94 year old mother, Clara. Clara was at a rehabilitation facility recovering from a number of falls that required a short stay in the hospital followed by rehabilitation. My agenda was to make a visit to church members living in Lakeside about twenty miles east of our home. This couple had experienced some illness and had not been able to come to church for a few weeks. My visit had a twofold purpose. My first priority was a pastoral visit to my friends in hopes of offering some encouragement and share some of the treasures gleaned from the morning sermon. My secondary purpose was to accept my friend’s offer to loan me one of her husband’s walkers for my mother-in-law. We expected Clara would be leaving rehab soon and needed a walker until she could get her strength back.

After our lunch, Carol left to visit her mother and I headed off to Lakeside.

Carol’s visit went well. She was able to share some nuggets from the morning service that lifted Clara’s spirits. Carol left after her visit to do some shopping at a mall near the rehab center.

Meanwhile, I made my journey east to visit our friends. The three of us enjoyed a pleasant conversation sharing thoughts inspired by the morning’s church service. Following our conversation, I viewed the collection of available walkers. I picked out two and after our goodbyes, I loaded them into my car and headed home.

I was about a third of the way home when my phone rang. It was Carol. She had just received a call from the rehab center that Clara fell and they were hailing an ambulance to take her to the hospital emergency room. Although Clara did not sustain any noticeable injury, hospital protocol required her to go to emergency. I told Carol I was on my way home and would divert my course to the hospital and meet them there.

I immediately prayed. Firstly I thanked God that Clara was not seriously hurt. Then, with a disappointed feeling, questioned Him as to why it had to happen yet again! No sooner did these questioning words escape my lips when another thought forcefully gripped my mind. Its expression came in the words, “Okay Lord, I know you must have something big and important planned for this to happen again. I don’t know what You have up Your sleeve, but I just want You to know I am going to be keeping my eyes wide open for whatever You have in store. Just give me skill to listen for the whisper of Your Spirit when He is guided somewhere to fulfill Your purpose and hope in me.”

About twenty minutes later I arrived at the hospital emergency parking area and parked my car. I exited the car just as the ambulance carrying Carol and Clara arrived. The back door of the ambulance opened and Carol came out followed by the gurney carrying Clara. Clara was wheeled by the EMT’s into the emergency room with Carol and me right behind.

Upon entering the emergency room we found it to be jammed packed. Not a single cubicle was available. Doctors and nurses were busy attending the overloaded facility. Amidst the beehive of activity, Clara was transferred onto a hospital gurney, quickly examined and assessed as not critical. Her gurney was placed against the wall in the hallway. A folding chair was provided for Carol at the foot of Clara’s gurney. I stood in a one foot square space next to Carol against the wall. This was the only possible place for me to stand. Six inches either way I would be blocking the busy corridor to my right or access to a constantly opening and closing door just behind me. I stood there for about fifteen minutes.

Suddenly a young lady came up to me, looked into my eyes and asked, “Evangelist Musterer?”

I replied, “Yes.”

She said pointing, “If you look over there, just through the small crack in that curtain, you will see my mother. She was with you in church this morning. When she came home, she couldn’t breathe and we had to call for an ambulance to bring her here to emergency. She has been here for a while and when she looked up through the little crack in the curtain she saw you. Will you please come and pray with her after the doctor leaves her cubicle?”

“Of course,” I said, “I will be honored to pray with her!”

She quickly returned to her mother and I quietly prayed and thanked God for giving me this blessing, to be a blessing for my friend in her time of need. I marveled at the extraordinary length God went to engineering this meeting and to serve someone in need. I realized that I was standing in the one and only square foot of that hospital where I was visible to our sister in faith. I stood in absolute awe of the love of God for those who love Him and the meticulous means He uses to affect His blessings on those in need.

I watched intently until I saw the doctor leave my friend’s cubicle and made my way to visit her. I smiled and shared with her what God had done in making it possible for me to be there for her. I prayed with her, thanking God for His awesome act of love and asked for His continued blessing for her health. I offered her some words of encouragement and assured her that I would contact her priest and advise him of her situation.

I returned to my “station” and called the priest from our Vista congregation who had been out of town that day. I filled him in on what had just happened and he immediately made plans for a hospital visit to my friend.

After a short stay in the hospital, she was able to regain her strength and health and returned home. Clara was sent back to rehab after all her tests proved normal. She had no injury of any kind! All day I thought of this experience and how God was able to get my attention to do something to fulfill His purpose.

Turning Points

This experience reinforces the principles of Solomon’s recipe – Trust, look past understanding, in all things acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths. When the fourth part can become reality – and He will direct your paths – you experience profound events such as this one. In reflecting on my prayer when I discovered Clara had fallen again, I noted that thanksgiving came first, then acknowledgement, then the preparation for the anticipated guidance – another turning point for me.

THE VOLUNTEER

It was late afternoon on a Wednesday. I was sitting in my family room about to watch the early evening news. Carol was busy in the kitchen getting dinner prepared when the phone rang.

It was dear friend Matt, a USMC helicopter pilot. He was quite agitated and said, “Allan, I need you to tell me what to do!”

I asked him, “What is going on Matt that you need me?”

He said, “You recall that a few weeks ago I told you that my best friend, a helicopter pilot, was killed while working as a Forward Air Controller with 7th Marines.”

I replied, “Yes I do Matt, I remember you even gave me his name and I have been praying for him and his family ever since. What is happening now?”

Matt explained, “Well today my battalion commanding officer informed me that the Division is seeking a replacement for him and are canvassing all of the Forward Air Controllers to replace him.”

Matt was perplexed and wanted to volunteer for the Afghanistan tour and complete his friend’s mission.

Matt said, “I want to go and honor my friend, but my wife doesn’t want me to go. What should I do?”

I met Matt some years before my retirement as an evangelist in the New Apostolic Church. Matt had met a young lady who was a member of our church in Germany. They met while Matt was stationed in Florida. They fell in love and were married just about the time Matt was stationed at Miramar Marine Corp Air Station in the northern part of San Diego.

Matt and his bride Stef attended Sunday morning services regularly for years in our church in El Cajon where I often served. Matt and I “clicked” and with mutual respect we became good friends. Matt’s deployments overseas often put him in harm’s way, so many investments of prayers and support deepened our relationship.

Consequently, it was not surprising that Matt would call me that Wednesday afternoon when he was facing a real dilemma with the issues at hand. Obviously there was turmoil in his heart as well has his wife’s.

I said, “Matt, your desire to volunteer to honor your friend is noble, courageous and honorable. I respect you for that desire and the willingness to make that sacrifice. But you must also honor your wife and her desires. You and Stef must first come to full agreement as to this decision. I am sorry, but I cannot tell you what to do. However, I will tell you what I would do. This evening is a divine service in El Cajon. I would pray and ask God to provide me with the right answer in the service tonight. I would place this situation in the Lord’s hands and see what His word would be for me as it comes from the servant who knows nothing of my situation. That is what I would do.”

Matt replied, “Stef and I will discuss this and decide what to do.” He thanked me and we hung up the phone.

Now Matt and Stef did not normally attend services on Wednesdays. Stef had been attending school and Matt’s schedule usually didn’t allow regular midweek freedom. With this in mind I prayed for them and their situation. In my prayer I asked God to please provide a clear direction for them through the words of the sermon. I also asked that should they not attend the service for whatever reason; please give me their answer so I could convey it to them afterward.

I went to the kitchen and asked Carol to pray with me as I wanted to again seek God’s blessing on Matt’s situation and the decision he had to make. After dinner, Carol and I left for service in El Cajon.

As I sat in the pew, I kept wondering if Matt and Stef would make to service. I mightily resisted turning around to see if they had come. As I awaited the start of the service, I reiterated my pleas to God for an answer.

The service began and I was excited to see that our district elder was conducting the service. He had just recently been assigned to serve our congregation and as yet really did not know every one of the members, particularly Matt and Stef.

As the service progressed, I heard a word that caused great excitement in my soul. It was a simple word, but precisely focused on the situation that Matt was facing. I so hoped that they had made it to the service. When it came time for Holy Communion, I noticed that they had both made it to service. Now my excitement was really elevated.

When the service concluded, I made a beeline to Matt and Stef and said, “Wow! Wasn’t that an extraordinary sermon?”

Their faces didn’t reflect my excitement as Matt replied, “It was a wonderful sermon, but we didn’t hear an answer. Can you talk with us?”

I said, “Of course, let’s go into the Mother’s Room for privacy.”

We entered the Mother’s Room and closed the door.

I said, “What I received from the sermon relative to your decision is this: If you are faced with a critical decision and it seems like there is no easy solution as to which way to turn, place it God’s hands through a fervent prayer. Then make the best decision you can and if it is the right decision, God will support it and all will be well. But if it is the wrong decision, God will change things and all will be well.”

Emotionally they asked me, “Will you pray with us?”

I said, “No, you have our district elder here, you should have him pray with you.”

We all agreed and just as we exited the Mother’s Room, the district elder opened the Sacristy door. I introduced Matt and Stef to him and asked him to pray with them. The three of them entered the sacristy and closed the door.

My purpose in refusing to pray with them was to take myself out of this situation and place it solely in God’s hands. Since the district elder had no knowledge of what had happened in the previous hours, his prayer and what would follow would be completely in the purview of God.

They soon exited the sacristy and Matt raced outside. Unknown to me, Matt had committed to his commander that he would give an answer by nine o’clock that evening. It was about eight-fifty when they exited the sacristy; hence his speedy exit from the church so he could phone his commander. Stef came over to me and I asked her what they decided.

Stef said, “We decided he will volunteer.”

I asked, “And you are okay with that?”

She said, “After our understanding and the prayer with the district elder, we know it is in God’s hands, and He will insure all goes well.”

The next day in the early afternoon, my phone rang once again. It was Matt.

“Allan, just like you said, just like you said!” Matt spoke excitedly into the phone.

“”What has happened Matt?” I replied.

“I just left my commanding officer’s office,” Matt said, “and he thanked me for volunteering to finish my friend’s tour in Afghanistan. Then he said that they made a different decision on the matter.”

I was thrilled and quietly offered up a prayer of thanksgiving.

Matt concluded, “Just like you said! We put it into His hands and He changed it!”

Reflecting on this blessing, one can see that Matt found favor for courageously volunteering, but God insured that His will and blessing prevailed and Stef’s desire was also fulfilled.

Turning Point

This experience taught me many things, but the most profound realization was that God brings us into and through some unique learning experiences and thus prepares us to be a blessing to someone in the future. This experience prepared me to show two very special people in my life the principles learned here and help them make their decisions with God’s blessings.

It Doesn’t Work – Fix It!

It was early 1966 when I was assigned to a power plant nestled on the banks of the Hudson River in Orange County New York. I was on the tail end of the of a nine month training program that began in June 1965 and had taken me to plants in Pasadena, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. The plant was a coal fired power plant designed and built by my employer Foster Wheeler Corporation.

The company designed and built the coal pulverizers, coal delivery systems and steam boilers. On this job the systems and equipment were in their final phases of completion prior to being turned over to the client utility company.

A Typical Central Station Coal-fired Power Plant

When I arrived at the plant I was introduced to Pete, the senior service engineer who was managing the project. There were four other service engineers on the job as well.

As an introduction to the job, Pete took me on a tour of the plant.

In the basement were two large horizontal steel drums filled almost half way with thousands of steel balls. Coal was conveyed into the two ends of the drums by a screw conveyor. As these drums turned, the coal was pulverized into a fine powder by the action of the balls. Also coming into the two ends of the drums was heated air. The hot air picked up the coal dust and conveyed it to the coal burners located in the side of the boiler two stories above.

On the main deck of the plant were the steam turbines and generators. From this deck access to the burner deck was manifest. The burner deck accessed the eight coal burners that were arranged in two banks of four each. In the center of each burner was a long tube that conveyed atomized oil that served as an ignition source for the coal dust that came from the coal pulverizers two stories below. Opposite the burners on the burner deck was a large electrical panel that controlled the automatic ignition system for the oil igniters.

As we worked our way up the side of the ten story boiler I was introduced to a mass of equipment and accoutrements to the boiler. At each level, there were ports in the boiler wall that allowed visual inspection of the boiler internals. Finally at the top of the structure we entered the access area around the boiler drum where the steam produced in the boiler tubes was dried, processed and sent to the steam turbines below. The turbines energized by the high pressure steam turned large electric generator that produced the electric power for the utility customers.

Pete and I returned to the company trailer office where Pete introduced me to the rest of the team. They were all engineers, most of them having served in the merchant marines. All of them were two to four years my senior. Initially I was given some assignments that required me to work together with them, thus building rapport and solidifying the team. We did things like set up instrumentation, test and verify that equipment was properly installed and working per specification.

One morning after we finished our morning coffee and discussed the work plan for the day, Pete grabbed a drawing from the stack that lay on the drafting table in the trailer office. He rolled it up put it under his arm and headed for the door.

Pete turned and called to me, “Allan, come with me. I have a job for you.”

We walked to the turbine deck of the plant and up the stairs to the burner deck. He opened the large doors to the electrical panel that housed the control electronics for the automatic coal burner ignition system.

Pete handed me the drawing and said, “This system doesn’t work; fix it.”

As he turned and walked away, a sense of dread came over me like a thick black cloud. I stood shocked for a few minutes trying to collect my thoughts. Finally I sat on a wooden crate, put my head in my hands and wondered what I was going to do. Ever since I could remember, electronics and anything electrical proved to be my biggest weakness, my Achilles heel so to speak.

Suddenly, I heard the voice of my Electronics 101 professor, Dr. Brown, speaking in his thick German accent, “Allan, someday you will regret not applying a greater effort in my classes. Your grades should be much better that this exam shows!”

My thoughts at that time were, “Professor, with all due respect, I do not like electronics or anything electrical!”

Now it hit me. My failures to apply myself during my college days had at last caught up with me. I found myself at my wits end. So I quietly summoned my God and prayed for help and mercy. No sooner did I say my “Amen” and a thought popped into my head. I remembered what my high school math teacher, Mr. Hubiak, had always preached to us, “When you are faced with a problem that overwhelms you, start with basic principles.”

So I stood up, the panel drawing in hand and grabbed a roll of masking tape. I opened the drawing and taped it on the open door of the electrical panel. Then I systematically went through the drawing identifying each component and verified that it was on the panel and in the right location. Almost immediately I discovered something. There was a pattern of identical components on the drawing that revealed itself.

There were eight banks comprised of two rows each of large relays. The left hand row of each bank had the letter “A” after the part number and the right hand row had the letter “B” after the part number. Each row had six relays. When I now looked at the panel, I found that all ninety-six relays had the “A” designation and not one relay had the “B” designation. Now I looked further to determine what made these two relays different.

The relays had a clear plastic cover so you could see the electrical contacts within. I noticed from the drawing that the electrical contacts in the “A” and “B” versions simply had the “normal open” and “normal closed” contacts reversed.
It became clear that one and hopefully the only problem was the lack of “B” relays. I searched the drawing and found the relay specification and manufacturer. Returning to the trailer office, I phoned the manufacturer. I explained the product with the product with the relay part number and asked for a local distributor. They gave me the nearest distributor’s address and phone number.

I called, introduced myself to the distributor and asked, “Do you carry these relays?” and gave him the part number.

He said, “Yes we do, but we do not have any of the “A” versions in stock.”

I replied, “Well, I have what may sound like a strange request. I have forty-eight of the “A” version relays that I would like to swap for forty-eight of the “B” version.”

Then I got an unexpected response. The gentleman said, “Who are you, really? Is this some kind of joke?”

I said, “No, this is no joke, I am serious. What makes you think it’s a joke?”

“I have a client that has been waiting for weeks to get “A” versions of this very relay. Your proposal seems incredulous. It’s just what I need! I can’t believe it!” he said.

I asked, “Well can I bring the forty-eight “A” relays for the swap?”

He replied, “How soon can you get here?”

I told him I would be there in half an hour. I rounded up a cardboard carton and when to the control panel. Carefully I extracted the “A” relays that were in the sockets that would house the “B” relays. I packed them up and headed to the supplier.

When I arrived, the man I had spoken to on the phone was ecstatic when he saw that I really had the relays and it was not a joke. That fact being confirmed, he immediately called his customer to tell him the good news. Then he retrieved my forty-eight “B” relays and profusely thanked me again.

Now excitement was building in me as I saw the potential success I was about to experience. I returned to the plant and went directly to the burner deck. I inserted the “B” relays into their proper sockets. I stood back and turned the system on. The whole panel lite up like a Christmas tree. I ran the diagnostics test and everything checked out.

I silently offered up my prayer of praise and thanksgiving and headed to the trailer, the drawing rolled up and under my arm and a smile on my face. Proudly I announce to Pete that the system was up and running. Pete’s delight was evident in the grin that burst from his face and a hearty pat on my back.

Unknown to me at the time, the senior vice president was watching me from the sidelines. Apparently Pete was asked to keep him informed as to my performance. This must have been a significant test that I passed with flying colors as evidenced by what happened a few weeks later. [See the story entitled “I Want You To Manage This Project”]

Turning Point

This was a very interesting turning point for me. As I reflected on this experience, I realized that when we ask God for His help, He doesn’t always give us what we want, but He gives us something. That “something” is a clue that leads us to a solution to the original problem we faced. God uses the resources we accumulate from our experiences and resurrects them from our personal “well” to reveal solutions at the precise moment we need them. This develops a deep appreciation for what He is willing to do for those who trust Him and ask Him.

Math Teacher Philosophy

In my four years at Garfield High School, I took specific mathematics classes to prepare myself for studying engineering in college. My first year I had Algebra I. The second year I had two math classes, Algebra II and Geometry. The third year Solid Geometry-Trigonometry combined into one class. My final year I studied Calculus.

My Solid Geometry-Trigonometry class was taught by Mr. Peter Hubiak, a seasoned mathematics teacher who came with a well known reputation for strictness.

Mr. Peter Hubiak

Mr. Hubiak was a real character. Most of the students teased him behind his back because of his idiosyncrasies. He always seemed to have chalk stains on his suit jacket and a perpetual bulge of pens and pencils in his breast pocket that threatened to burst the pocket’s seams. The careful observer of details discovered soup stains on his tie and even on the front of some of his shirts peeking out from the edges of the lapels of his suit jacket. He was one of the oldest teachers on the staff. In fact, he was really old in my view because he had taught my parents!

Mr. Hubiak turned out to be a harbinger of wisdom that went beyond his expert teaching of solid geometry and trigonometry. He frequently philosophized during class. He would preach wisdom that stuck with me, probably because under the teenage critique of him there lay a certain measure of profound respect. His germs of wisdom took root in me and over time saved me from many potential losses both financially and career wise.

One of his philosophical offerings was his statement, “You can’t get something for nothing.”

That may sound simple and maybe even trivial, by many a time in life a prospect that seemed too good to be true tempted me to invest my resources. Then his words echoed in my mind and I resisted the temptation. Future events revealed how that little impulse saved me from serious financial losses. To this day I am grateful for Mr. Hubiak’s persistent preaching to us as teenagers.

Another offering was this suggestion that applied, as I later in life discovered, not only to solving mathematical problems but life problems as well.

He said, “When you are facing problems and situations that seem to overwhelm you, stop and go back to basic principles. Apply them and the solution will reveal itself.”

One of the most important turning points for me came with this “Hubiak-ism” as a key element. At a critical moment in my engineering career, when I was severely challenged, my God reminded me of this precious gem of wisdom from my teacher. It lay dormant in the crevices of my mind and was resurrected with meticulous timing to make a huge difference in facing a seemingly overwhelming challenge. [Refer to the story titled “It Doesn’t Work – Fix It” to see how this simple but profound solution evolved into a big professional success.]

Turning Point

The realization that wisdom can come from the least expected people who come into our life unexpectedly is a true turning point. It reveals the understanding that God can and will use anyone to fulfill His purpose for us. We just need to position ourselves to be extricated from our prejudices, judgments and fears so we are open to the blessings that can flow from these unexpected sources. Turning point phrases also find application beyond the obvious, as I have discovered in the spiritual part of life when resorting to “basic principles” as simply asking God through heartfelt prayer.

The Answer to a Question

I was serving as minister for one of our congregations when a young married couple asked me to pay them a pastoral visit. They were experiencing some difficulties and wanted me to counsel them. We made plans for a visit the following week.

As the days passed by, I became more and more concerned as to what I would be able to contribute to the situations with which they were wrestling. Furthermore, they did not give me any clues as to the nature of their concerns. Speculation circled in my thoughts. I resorted to prayerful deliberations with God, asking Him for guidance so He could use me to help them get over whatever it was that troubled them.

When the day arrived I drove to the couple’s home. I sat in my parked car in front of their house, offering up one last prayer hoping to get the butterflies out of my stomach. I felt so inadequate and wondered why they thought I could help them. I hoped that they were seeking help from God and not from me.

I finished my praying and approached the front door and knocked. I was welcomed in and we greeted one another with some introductory conversation. When we entered their living room a sense of confidence came over me. The husband sat down in one chair, the wife on a sofa and I took my place in a chair. I sensed some distance had grown between them.

I told them how I would like to engage our discussion.

I said, “The way I like to proceed is to first pray together because we want God to be not only a part of our discussion, but an active participant. We need His guidance because His solution will be the most successful. After we pray, I would like each of you in turn to share your perspective of the issues and concerns and then I will work to bring God’s perspective to the discussion. We will end with a prayer of thanksgiving.”

We all agreed, but then I said something that really caused me deep concern.
I said, “Whatever the outcome of our discussion, the success or failure will depend on the answer to one question.”

My thoughts were racing in my head. I wondered – What was that all about? What was the question? And more critically, what was the answer? Now I was really ill at ease and any sense of confidence fled my being.

I began by asking the wife to first share her views of the issues from her perspective. Very articulately she expressed her feelings.

When she finished I asked her husband to share his.

As he finished, he leaned forward to the edge of his chair and almost screamed, “What is the question?”

Now I really began to sweat. I didn’t know the question nor did I know the answer! All through the discussion I was thoughtfully praying and asking God the same thing, “What is the question? And what is the answer?”

There was pause of silence that seemed to me to last forever.

Then I suddenly uttered, “The question is: Do you believe it was God who brought you two together? and if you can honestly answer YES, then there is no situation or difficulty that can tear you apart. But if the answer is NO, then some very small and insignificant issue can bring the end to this marriage.”

No sooner were these words out of my mouth when the couple in spontaneous unison proclaimed, “We believe God brought us together!”

The issue that brought us together that night melted away. Peace returned to this couple that evening. I told them of my personal concerns and confessed that I had no idea what the question was until it flowed across my lips.

We celebrated God’s gracious gift for them and offered a prayer of thanksgiving and praise to our God. I left them with a profound sense of gratitude for the answer to my prayers.

Turning Point

It must be God’s plan to maximize the efficacy of the experiences we have with Him. When we are willing servants in His hand, we can see wonders in how He works blessings for those who believe and trust in Him. His guidance sometimes requires us to be ill at ease, uncomfortable in a place of unknowns. But these only magnify the awesome effect of His love for us. It makes the experience memorable and valued. I am sure His hope is that we will share it with others and further multiply the joy of His handiwork. I believe that when we are in our greatest discomfort, God is at His best! The life of Jesus is a testimony of the Father’s mastery at times of human distress.

We Are Going To Be Undefeated!

At six years old, our son Randy attained the age of eligibility to play T-ball. T-ball at the time was a program to teach six year olds the fundamentals of baseball. Instead of having a pitcher throw the ball to the batters, there was an adjustable post that was placed at home plate. The height that it held a baseball for the batter to hit was adjusted for each batter. There were nine players with one player positioned where the pitcher normally would play.

When the day came for registration, Carol, my wife, took Randy to sign up for our local Mira Mesa T-Ball league. He was assigned to the Pirates team and was presented with his equipment consisting of a black and yellow Pirates baseball cap and jersey. He was very excited and proud to be part of a team.

That evening when I arrived home from work, Randy ran to meet me proudly decked out in his new uniform.

Randy’s official Pirates Picture

Excitedly he announced to me matter-of-factly, “Dad, out team will be undefeated and win the championship.”

That’s when I stepped in with my fatherly “reality check” comment, “Randy, you need to know that your team will lose a couple of games.”

Randy insisted, “No Dad, we are going undefeated!”

As the season wore on, I became more and more impressed with the coaches of the team. Unlike many other team coaches, the two men who coached the Pirates kept a level head staying cool while others, mostly parents were going wild. They kept the game simple for the little kids, giving them clear and simple instructions. If the ball was hit in the infield, they were told to always throw to first base. If the ball was hit to the outfield, they were told to always throw to second base. This strategy employed the law of averages and it worked perfectly.

Game after game the Pirates came out on top of the final score. By the end of the season, the Pirates were indeed undefeated and won the championship!

Although he didn’t say it, I wouldn’t have been surprised if Randy was quietly thinking, “See Dad, I told you!” Maybe it was the excitement of the accomplishment or maybe he was just being gracious, but he never uttered those words to me.

The Pirates Team

Carol and I joyfully congratulated Randy and his team mates as they excitedly walked off the field as champions and the first undefeated team in the program.

I had to pause and understand the lesson my son just taught me.

Turning Points

I learned that being realistic and practical when dealing with children is not always the best course to follow. Better to be prepared for when and if the unexpected happens than to force the issue and run the risk of being the “wet blanket”. You never know when “undefeated” and “championship” are dreams destined to come true. Randy proved to me that season in his little boy naiveté that dreaming big is the best way to face a challenge. Then over and over again as he grew up, he found ways to succeed at whatever he set his mind to do.