The other day Jeff White, one of the youth I get the opportunity to serve, said that he thought the most important pieces on the chess board are not the queen, bishops, knights or rooks. No, he believes that pawns are the unsung hero. I challenged his assertion at first. But as I listened to his reason, it made sense.
Think about it. There are more pawns than any other piece on the board. Pawns may be limited in their movement and distance. But once they reach the end of the board, pawns can bring back any piece that has been lost. Pawns only go forward. Pawns tend to be the first line of offense and can be the last hope to restore a critical piece. Pawns may get sacrificed to save a more "important" piece.
I never realized how the seemingly insignificant pieces of the game can be the most important. This caused me to stop and ask, "What else have I overlooked?" When it comes to life, do I tend to focus on the knights and queen and not the little things that can make a big difference.
Thanks Jeff for helping me see something new. By the way Whitey, you have come a long way, and I am proud of you.
