An S On A Baseball Cap

Back in 1984, I coached a recreation baseball team in Statesboro, GA. Our sponsor was the Statesboro Lions Club, and our hats were royal blue with a block-style S in white, on the front of the cap. It was and is one of my favorites team ever, and I’ve kept up with many of those boys, who are now men with their own children involved in high school sports. I also liked that hat – royal blue is one of my favorite colors and well, the S reminds me . . . of me! J The hat also reminds me of that team and some of the great stories from that season: Sean Sanders’ home run when he tearfully jumped into my arms; Chris “The Weapon” Boyd, whose fastball no one could hit; Jonathan Stapleton, who had never played ball before and led our team in hitting; and Jeff Yawn, whose granddaddy “Snooky” was whom my youngest is nicknamed after. It was just a great, great season, great boys, and great families behind them.

I wear my royal blue hat with the white S pretty regularly, especially in the mornings around town. It’s not the same hat worn in 1984, but it’s a close replica.

Last Friday, I wore it to Lizard’s Thicket for breakfast. As I was leaving the restaurant, I passed an elderly couple sitting in a booth. I had never seen them before. The older man startled me when he reached out and touched my arm. He said, “That’s a nice hat.” And, I smiled as he held up his own hat. It, too, was royal blue with a white S on the front of it. I said, “That’s a great hat!” And, he said, “What does the S stand for?” And, I said, jokingly, “Scott.” And, he laughed, and said, “I bet it also stands for Saved.” And, I said, “Yep, it sure does.” And, he said, “Mine does, too; God bless you, brother.”

There are no coincidences. I was having a tough week, coming off the road and battling a bronchial infection while eye-balling my annual work in the church’s Halloween Hoedown this weekend. I was stressed.

But, I left the restaurant so very encouraged, and so very affirmed. We are surrounded by believers – just like us. We are called to encourage and lift one another. I want to be that kind of believer!

That little exchange stayed me with the rest of the weekend:

1.      Saved. It is the relationship above all relationships that binds you and I together for all eternity. We will forever know one another . . . eternally.

2.      Saved. It is an identity above all identities. It is an identity that trumps our names, our cultures, our heritages and our family trees.

3.      Saved. The Holy Spirit, when we listen, can discern when we are in the presence of others who are Saved. The same Spirit can discern when we are in the presence of lostness so that we can introduce people to Jesus.

All of a sudden, that royal blue cap is much more important to me than I thought it was.