Show Up

On Friday, I drove to Appleton, Wisconsin with my sister to watch my nephew’s team play in the NCAA Division III Baseball Championship series. I came back on Saturday, but I wanted to show up for one game to support Mark and the team. His Mom, Dad and sister stayed and have been to his games all year long. For years, Mark has shown up for practices and games, not always playing, but showing up and giving his best just the same.

How often do we put our efforts on autopilot, half-hearted, holding back? In relationships, work, faith, play, we can choose to show up, dive in and passionately give all of ourselves, whether we win or lose. And the more we show up, the more we improve and increase our chances of winning.

We all have our reasons of why we merely go through the motions – too busy, stressed out, discouragement from others and ourselves. But the smile on his face when Mark saw his family show up makes a 600 mile car drive in 24 hours all worth it. Show up for your life, no one is going to take your place.