Joey was a "good kid," and he had the potential to be an excellent baseball player–one of those who made the varsity team as a freshman. Everybody said so–his coaches, his dad, his Little League teammates.

And Joey got pretty good grades, too. As a matter of fact, there isn’t much Joey didn’t do well. From all outward appearances, Joey was just one of those kids who had s-u-c-c-e-s-s written all over him.

Yet what people could not see was the one obstacle that paralyzed Joey: insecurity.

One would think that all the accolades Joey received about his athleticism would have given him great confidence as he walked onto the pitcher’s mound. Actually, though, they did just the opposite. All the praise Joey received made him doubt that anyone would like him if he suddenly couldn’t throw a fastball or didn’t get an A on the math test.

Then came the experience that changed Joey’s outlook.

It was a hot August afternoon, the seventh inning, and Joey’s game was on target. It was a no-hitter game until the bottom of the sixth, so things were going well in spite of the scorching temperatures.

As Joey wound up for his pitch, he glanced into the stands like he did before every wind-up. What he saw had him in hysterics.

Joey’s youth pastor, who knew of the fears and insecurities that ate Joey up inside, sat on the first level of the bleachers–in full costume.

Touting himself as the newest mascot for the team, Joey’s mentor wore a chicken suit complete with feathers, webbed feat, the whole nine yards. Before he knew it, Joey wasn’t the only one laughing. Even the opposing team’s bench crawled out of the dugout to see the comical display.

At the end of the game, in which Joey set a few records, the talk wasn’t of scores and runs; it was of "the guy in the chicken suit." Joey’s pastor helped him see that he was being ridiculous to care about what others thought–life was simply too short not to laugh at sometimes. Even if it meant dressing up as a chicken to prove a point.

What are your fears and insecurities? Have they consumed your attention, disrupted your plans, or interfered with your ability to appreciate the everyday? A sense of humor is of divine making. God wants you to let go of your fears and see the lighter side of life. Have you laughed at any "chicken suits" lately?

August 2001 - By Brooke Redwine

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