Lessons from The Sandlot

This past Tuesday I took a trip back down memory lane.

Yes, friends! I watched THE SANDLOT.

And, yes, I still remembered most every line. 

And yes, Jennifer, Ashley, Melissa, Jessica, Kristen, and Brandie, I thought about us and our crazy obsession with Mike Vitar, and all the BIG BOPPER magazines we collected, and our silly clubs. 

My husband and step-dad set up an outdoor theater in the backyard and we projected one of best movies of all time, up on the big white sheet of a screen.

I love re-watching movies from my childhood. I truly felt like I was in sixth grade again. The same characters made me laugh. The same lines stuck out to me. And the same quotes made me think about life. 

So the rest of tonight's post is dedicated to all you fellow Sandlot lovers and the lessons we can all take away from these baseball crazy, smore-makin, Wendy Peferrcorn lovin', beast fearin' boys. 

LESSON 1: "JUST STAND THERE AND STICK YOUR GLOVE OUT IN THE AIR AND I'LL DO THE REST."

This is what Benny tells Smalls as he is trying to help him get over his fear of catching a ball. Clearly, this fear is a direct result of never having played much baseball, but Benny gives him faith that he can do it. AND HE DOES. So what can we take from this? When we are afraid and unsure. Our Savior is there just asking for our hand, our trust, and our faith in Him. Stick our your glove and let him do the rest.

LESSON 2: "HEROS GET REMEMBERED, BUT LEGENDS NEVER DIE. FOLLOW YOUR HEART KID."

These are the wise words that Babe Ruth shares with Benny in a dream. Benny is faced with the fear of jumping across the fence to pickle the beast and retrieve the Babe Ruth ball that Smalls took from his dad's trophy room. This simple statement gave Benny enough courage to jump the fence and face his fear. What we decide to do is much more important than who we are. The decisions we make will be remembered and when we let courage talk, our lives are lived as legends.

LESSON 3: "For-ev-ER…  For-ev-ER… For-ev-ER"

If you've seen the movie, you can get a picture of Squints saying this again and again as he is

explaining the story of the beast and that he would be chained up For-ev-ER. He is so serious in his storytelling and really believes what he is saying is true. From this, let's remember that this life is but a glimpse, a speck, a small dose of what is to come. One day, some day, when we are called to heaven. We will remain with our Savior. For-ev-ER!

These and so many more lessons can be learned from the summer adventure of boy being boys, playing baseball at the sandlot. There are only a few short weeks left of summer vacation. Take some time to rewatch a childhood movie. Watch with new eyes and hear with new ears. There's always a lesson to be learned. You know you want to.

Ahhhh, childhood. What a gift.