WACKY WEDNESDAY WISDOM: The Master Key

     In case you didn't know yet, I have made a major change in my life. For the last thirty years, I was a college baseball coach. That all ended this past May when I coached my last game and waved goodbye to the fans. Then I spent the summer trying to figure out what I was going to do when I grew up. (At age 55, I still can't accept the fact that I'm grown up). At any rate, I had decided- with God's prompting- the time had come for me to do something different. I just didn't know what that different thing was going to be. A few months later in late July, I was hired as a Sociology instructor at a college. They gave me the title "Professor", which I appreciate, though it makes me feel like a character on Gilligan's Island. And I think maybe I'm expected to start smoking a pipe. So sometimes I just tell people I'm an instructor, even though I have a deep respect for the title of Professor.

     Back to the college coaching thing. During my tenure as the college head baseball coach, heavy was the keychain that accompanied my person everywhere I ventured. There were numerous keys to numerous doors to which I was entrusted. I shall attempt to name a few. 

     I had a key for our field house building, which also got me into my office and anybody else's office in the entire building. That's because one fortunate soul in each building is saddled (ooops, honored) with the responsibility of being the head administrator of that particular building. This became the reality after OSHA visited a few years back and decided that every building needed a "Buck Stops Here" kinda person. And since I had been there the longest at the time, the title was bestowed upon me. 

     There were other keys. Let's see, there was one for the middle drawer of my desk, one for the custodian closet, one for the baseball stadium press box, one for the stadium concessions area, and one for the indoor batting cage. I had one that unlocked the dugout storage rooms and umpire dressing room as well. There was one for the athletic department office area in case I needed to check my mailbox or make copies after hours. I had one for the gym locker rooms until they changed the entrance to accept a card swipe, which I was able to access with my ID card.  

     I also had one that unlocked the box that contained the temperature controls for our building but somebody changed the lock and I never got another one. We froze in the winter and roasted during the summer until they computerized the thermostats and made them adjust automatically- except for the one in the locker room that didn't seem to work just right. It was always a frozen tundra in there, regardless of the season.

     But alas, all good things must come to an end. On my last day as a college baseball coach I turned in all my keys. I weighed ten pounds less as I left the administration building. And I felt a lot less important. 

     I received my new set of keys at my new job recently. I got a key to my office. Oh, and as a bonus, I got a key to get in the back entrance to the hallway in case the door to the bathroom was locked, which it normally is. Two whole keys. Am I any less important now than before when I had a whole mess of keys? Based on a recent statement I heard somewhere, I think not. The phrase was simple: "Having less keys may mean you are more important, especially if you have the master key that gets into everything". Cool, even though my new key isn't the master key. 

     The Bible talks about a door that can only be accessed by one Master's Key in Matthew 7:7-8. It is a locked door but can be opened by one simple action: knocking. The Master Key is Jesus the Christ, Son of the Father. It's the one and only key you need. And all you have to do is ask and you can gain full access to the riches of the Kingdom of God. An acceptable arrangement if you ask me. 

     So maybe having less keys is better after all. Perhaps less keys equal less stress. Which suits me just fine now that I am an instructor- ooops, professor. I will forever cherish and appreciate my time as a college baseball coach. It was incredible and fulfilling. But nowadays I have less keys and more time. And I'm content with that arrangement. That's the key.