Living Vicariously

Vicarious: Experiencing something through another person by imagining rather than first-hand.

I remember when my two sons were young boys, playing baseball. My wife and I and the kids grandparents would go to their games to cheer them on.... win or lose.

I was always struck by the intensity of some of the other parents. They would get sooooooo upset when their kids struck out at bat or missed catching a fly ball, or simply didn't play well.

Back then I couldn't understand why they were so upset. Now, I think I know....



Some parents, (and I believe they are in the minority), seem to want to live out their dreams through their children. Haven't you ever seen a dad who was determined to see "his son" become the next Roger Clemens.... or Joe Montana? It doesn't even have to be sports. The guy (or gal) who had his/her dream of being the next "big thing" dashed to pieces by this tidal wave we call "real life". Now, with their dreams quickly fading into the sunset, their only grasp of hope is in the success of their offspring. It's a sad thing to observe.... for the kids... and, the parents.

I think that is one of the things that is so amazing about "Team Hoyt". (I hope you watched the video from last week)....

Rick, the son of Dick and Judy Hoyt, was diagnosed as a baby as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. They were encouraged to have him "institutionalized". Instead, they worked with him, taking him swimming and sledding and even taught him the alphabet and some basic words. Eventually, through the use of new technology, Rick was able to "communicate" to his parents. He told them he would like to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Dick, his father, agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair. They finished all 5 miles.... coming in next to last. When the race was over, that night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped".

So began an amazing journey for father and son. Since 1977 they have participated in over 1,000 races (no this is not a miss-print)...... over a THOUSAND races, ....including marathons, dual-athlons and tri-athlons. Dick and Rick biked and ran across the United States in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.

Yes, Rick is living, in a real sense, "vicariously" through his father. The father has set aside "his" dreams so that his son can.... live. It's just the opposite of what we see played out so much of the time in this self-centered world... and that is... amazing...

I received some really good feedback from some folks that watched the video. Every person said it brought then to tears. It is truly one of the most inspiring stories I think we will get the opportunity to see.

The most striking observation came from a couple of my readers. They said it was The Gospel, that it was a metaphor for what Christ has done for us. He sacrificed Himself so that we, (the ones crippled with sin and guilt and shame), could have life. When we surrender to Him, He picks us up in all our broken-ness and carries us all the way through this race we call life.... carries us lovingly... all the way, through to the finish line,.....HOME...

Here is a link to see and read more of their story:



http://www.teamhoyt.com/about/index.html