blog nickname that I've given to my oldest son. He taught himself how to play chess when he was 7, and has since unsuccessfully tried to teach his mom. My dad could have told him to spend his time in a more productive manner since he tried to teach me how to play chess when I was 12. It was unsuccessful.
But Chess took an interest in the tactics by watching some older boys play, and from observation he picked up the moves and the strategy as well. I was pleased to see this child take an interest in something and pursue it along his own motivational track. Watching that inner switch take hold was a real parent's delight.
When it came to thinking about a sport for this son to play, I was convinced that a team event was probably not in his future. Long story short, I considered his two great delights: chess and swords. We decided to have him try fencing.
Fencing is called physical chess because there are specific moves a fencer can make and the tactics of how to combine the moves require a thinking strategy. It was a slow start for Chess once the romantic notion of holding a sword ran slam into the truth that fencing required practice.
The first year he fenced, this mom made some critical mistakes in forgetting that the sport is still just a sport, and the child is still just a child. God allowed me to really hit my head and heart hard on the rock of offense. I was thoroughly chastened for having made all involved miserable.
During the next year of fencing, I took a giant step back and encouraged Chess to consider his character as related to the sport. Was he exercising diligence in his practice? Was he fencing to the glory of God? Was he being trustworthy in his attitudes? Was he willing to persevere even if things were tough?
Taking the emphasis off of forward fencing progress and back on to character values was the lesson both of us needed to learn. Thanks indeed to God for showing us grace and restoration of mother-son relationship as we learned together.
And just like with the boardgame of chess, this year something internal switched on for this sweet son. He realized that he enjoyed the pushing himself to be faster, to be stronger, to be more thorough in his movements, to be more diligent in his training, and to be more content in his limitations. His attitude has grown to that of thanksgiving to God for victory and acceptance for even defeat being in God's providence.
Two weeks ago he competed in a small local tournament and placed first. This week he competed in a slightly larger tournament and placed second. The second place was more hard fought than the first because he had a very painful blister on his left foot in addition to a cut on his blade hand.
What I was most delighted to see in his fencing was not the medal but his attitude. He truly depended on God to help him do his best, and he persevered through the difficulties he encountered. I doubt that fencing will ever send him to the Olympics or even win a college scholarship. That's not why we participate. We support him in fencing as a means for Chess to practically apply the character traits we desire to see in him as he grows from a child to a man of God.
And through his fencing, I realize that God is continuing to teach this mom to be more diligent, more content, more thorough, and to persevere in difficulties as well. To God be the glory!
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