Swing the Bat

It’s baseball season, and I am a fan of America’s National Pastime (Go Cardinals!). My son had his first baseball tournament of the year this past weekend. He’s on a 10U team (also the Cardinals), so there’s obviously a lot of improvement and education to be had at this point. However, he enjoys it and likes spending time and having fun with his friends as they learn the sport.

As I was watching the games, I started thinking about how baseball (as well as softball) pitches can be similes for life.

When you go up to bat, you don’t know what’s going to come at you. While you should be focused solely on the pitcher and the ball, many times, there are other distractions.

There’s often a lot of nervous energy as everyone is focused on you, and you may place significant pressure on yourself to get a hit. You may be cheered on by your teammates or jeered at by the other team. The weather might play a factor as well…too hot, too cold, raining, wind speed, or the sun may be impairing your vision.

Despite diversions in life, the Bible reminds us in Proverbs 4:25, to keep our face focused on Jesus. “Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you.”

Once that ball leaves the pitcher’s hand, you have a second or two to first recognize the ball coming toward you, and second, to adjust your swing based on the perceived trajectory and speed of the ball.

Now, I wrote perceived for a reason. While you may see the ball coming straight at you at a certain rate, that does not mean it will remain on that route or at that current speed through the whole cycle.

The ball could curve at the last minute, either inside or outside. It could drop. It could slow down just enough to throw off your timing, making you look a fool as you end up slightly ahead of contact. It could also do a combination of those things. The spin of the ball also affects its path.

Life is kind of like that too. You may be going about your day-to-day routine and suddenly discover, like a fastball that whizzes passed your strike zone before you can even register it, that half a year or even half a lifetime has flown by, and you don’t quite know how it happened.

You may be cruising down a certain life path batting a thousand with everything going great, but then suddenly, a curveball gets thrown into the mix and you completely miss the mark.

You may be navigating through our fast-paced world, going 90 to nothing trying to keep up with it all, and then you get a changeup that slows you down, whether you want it to or not.

Life may be like a knuckleball at times, while appearing slow and straightforward, still somewhat erratic, unpredictable, and difficult to make a connection with.

Sometimes in life you may get hit with a ball, and most often, it’s going to hurt. In life, we sometimes must take one for the team too.

There will also be times in life when everything lines up perfectly, and you reach your goals and achieve great successes. You figuratively knock it out of the park.

On the other hand, there will also often be times when fail; you strike out.

One of the things I tell my son is that he is going to strike out, and that is okay. However, what I discourage him from doing is striking out looking.

If you swing and you miss, at least you tried. If you just stand there and let a strike sail by, you’ve missed an opportunity. You can’t get a hit if you don’t swing.

We need to be ready for whatever the opposition throws our way because there will be temptations, distractions, and trials in life. 1 Peter 5:8 reads, “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

Don’t be caught off guard, ladies.

Homerun for a Heroine

When I think of a biblical woman who went to bat for her people, I think of Esther.

You can read the account of Esther yourself in the Book of Esther, one of only two books of the Bible named for a woman. Can you name the other one?

Esther (previously called Hadassah) was a young Jewish woman who had been orphaned in childhood and raised by her cousin, Mordecai. She lived during the time of Persian occupation of Jerusalem under the rule of King Ahasuerus, also known as Xerxes. Mordecai worked in the king’s palace in Susa.

A curveball was pitched Esther’s way as the king, after exiling his previous wife, ordered the search for a replacement. Due to her great beauty, Esther was chosen as a candidate for future queen.

As the king continued to reject woman after woman, Esther resumed the 12-month process of beauty preparations for her presentation to the king. Like a fastball, I’m sure everything moved quickly until her presentation day was suddenly upon her.

Then, Esther experienced a changeup as the king was so impressed with her that he chose her to be the next Queen of Persia.

After being queen for a time, Esther learned from her cousin of a plot to murder all the Jewish people implemented by Haman, the top royal official who had a great hatred for Mordecai and all the Jewish people.

Now, at this time in her life, Esther was not a starter for the team. She had lost her favor with the king and hadn’t been summoned by him for thirty days. She had been figuratively benched.

However, to stop the slaughter of her people, Esther stepped up to the plate anyway and did something against Persian law. She presented herself to the king without invitation, an offense that could result in death, and prepared to take one for the team if necessary.

“…And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14)

Like being faced with a knuckleball, Esther saw her target straight ahead, but the outcome was unpredictable, the trajectory uncertain. She could have been killed for such an act, but the Lord was on Esther’s team, and the king excused Esther’s defiance.

With bravery, wisdom, and honesty, Esther revealed herself as a Jew and exposed Haman’s plan to kill all Jewish people, including her cousin and the queen herself. Angered that Haman was trying to pull a fast one on him, King Xerxes instead ordered Haman’s demise and provided provisions for the Jewish people to defend their lives against those who Haman sent to destroy them.

It was a walk-off win for God’s chosen people.

For the Good of the Team

Like baseball, in life there are things we can manipulate. However, we can’t control everything. No matter how much experience or knowledge we have, we can’t win the game on our own. We need a team and a coach. “The way of a fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.” (Proverbs 12:15)

In a Christian’s life, the Bible is our rule book, our life manual. “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

Furthermore, our team includes our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Our head coach is God the Father, and his assistants are Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

They support, guide, and direct us to prepare for whatever pitch our adversary, the devil, throws our way. Hit or miss, our coaches and team are present to rejoice with us or correct us. Our wins are their wins, and our losses theirs as well.

Like Queen Esther, we must all be ready for “such as time as this.” We should focus our efforts not only on our individual stats but more importantly on the betterment of the team…the church…the body of believers in Christ.

Like a baseball team, believers bring different skills and experiences to use for God’s glory. Some of us are better in certain positions than others, but all our gifts are important. “For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them…” (Romans 12:4-6)

What is your role for Christ today? Are you stepping up to bat for Him? Are you pulling your weight on the team?

If not, don’t despair. No matter how good a player is, there’s always room for improvement, and we all go through our seasons when we’re at the top of our game and those when we’re on the bench cheering for those out on the field.

No matter where you’re at today, you have a purpose and a job to be doing for the Lord. No matter how big or small it seems, every role is vital. As your coach, let God lead you. You may be surprised with the number of stats you achieve for the team through practice, reliability, fortitude, devotion, and faith.

“With all your heart you must trust the Lord and not your own judgment. Always let him lead you, and He will clear the road for you to follow.” (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Remember, when you miss the mark, it’s okay. It’s going to happen because none of us is perfect; we all have weaknesses. However, through our weaknesses we can learn and become stronger for the next at-bat.

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10)

Throughout life, you are going to strike out at times, but when you do, know that the team still has your back. Just don’t strike out looking. Swing that bat and give your all for God!                       

You may not win every game, but “Stand firm, and you will win life.” (Luke 21:19)

Have a blessed week!

-Becky