Sinker? Slider? Curve?

Looking for a Home-run?

I thoroughly enjoyed watching the World Series this year.  I have never been a fan of watching professional sports.  I make plans to watch the Superbowl when it is on, but I don't truly follow any one team.  I only watch professional basketball if I want to spend time with my boys who might be watching it.  Although I truly love baseball, I don't set aside hours to watch a game, and usually don't keep up with the World Series, unless of course the one and only professional team I tend to support is playing~the Cards!!  I couldn't tell you when my interest in the team began, or explain how I am even a follower.  I don't know the roster, I don't watch to see who they sign, I have no idea what their record might be year in and year out.  During the regular season I just follow via the scores on ESPN.  Yes, I watch ESPN, again, if I want to spend time with my boys, all three of them, I must learn to enjoy the craziness, and repetitiveness of that network.  I did so enjoy the World Series this year.  The twists and turns, the shocking comebacks, and the pure joy when all was said and done, and victory belonged to the Cards.  Yes, I know, there was a team who fought just as hard, and who went home with broken hearts.  As far as I am concerned, the two best teams fought that battle, and it just came down to moments.  One moment could have changed the whole outcome of that series.  Either team could easily be called Champions this year.

The days that followed the series however have been quite a challenge in my life.  What I realized was that life is very much like a baseball game, or yet, life is the pitcher, and you are are the batter.

You can't take life at face value.  I so miss the days where you could do that more often.  I guess maybe I might have a skewed memory, but it seems as though we didn't use to have to second guess EVERYTHING.  A person's word was good.  We didn't have to worry about hidden agendas, or schemes, or other traps that would snare us. We didn't have to worry if someone was hiding something, or leaving out the truth. We didn't always have to decipher what was good and what was bad, even in what was supposed to be good to us.  We had a fast ball right across the plate, or a pitch that was out of the zone.  

Today we have to decipher between fast balls, sinkers, sliders, and curves.

Fastball~

n. Baseball A pitch thrown at the pitcher's maximum speed.

Sinker~

downward curving baseball pitch: in baseball, a pitched ball that curves sharply downward as it reaches the plate

Slider~

Baseball. A fast pitch released with the index and middle fingers close together and slightly off center so that it breaks in the same direction as a curve ball as it approaches the plate.

Curve-ball~

Baseball. Any of several pitches that veer to the left when thrown with the right hand and to the right when thrown with the left hand.

Slang. Something that is unexpected or designed to trick or deceive: That last question on the exam was a real curve ball.

I want to go back to all fast balls!!

I know, life has always had the deceptions, the distractions.  We can thank the reptile for deceiving Eve for that.  It just seems, that as technology has advanced, deception, betrayal, scheming, and just down right wrong behaviors, have all become mainstream, and people think it is normal!

I found myself as an overconfident batter just recently.  Seeing a pitch that was released way outside of my strike zone and just took that pitch off, only to find myself with a strike.  The crazy thing, I have let myself be struck out!!  All in a matter of just a few weeks, I have come to realize that what I thought were homeruns, were all strike outs.  

A few days ago, I probably would have told you that I was done.  I was ready to hang up my cleats and walk away.  I never wanted to see another pitch again.  I needed to retire.  Ahh.. retire~ only do what I want to do, and not have to take the pitches.

God gently reminded me, it's not my time.  Unlike my Cards, I was not the champion.  I found myself defeated.  I was afraid to face the next turn, and braced for the fury I was sure to ensue when I realized my latest at bat was definitely not a home-run.  Was trying to calm a fury of a pitch I thought was right across the plate, but ended up sinking. God calmed the storm, sent me many reminders to His grace, mercy and love, and has given me the strength to just move on.  Not all pitches will deceive, and the ones I thought once to be home~runs can once again be knocked out of the park.  I can't retire just yet.  I felt the nudge to get back to the plate, and face the next game, and the next pitch.  It might be all new, and will probably have different players, and different outcomes, but, my Manager is true, honest, straightforward, steadfast and constant, and has surrounded me with some awesome fans!!!