Motivational Monday – When life throws you a curve ball

When life throws you a curve ball - or an accidentally sliced golf ball

Every summer the kids at my church play in a youth baseball league. The league is affectionately named, Meet Me at Second, as it includes part of our church name, Second Baptist. Parents, friends and other spectators gather to cheer the kids on. We all sit in the bleachers or anywhere away from the fence line, to avoid stray curve balls.

As life would have it, there’s no way to avoid the curve balls of challenging situations. My curve ball started out as a pop-up fly ball, nothing too devastating. A couple week before I was to travel to my sons’ college football game, I was told my car needed four new tires. I put it off as long as I could.

The football game was a four hour drive, I couldn’t chance taking the trip on bald tires. I gritted my teeth and purchased the new tires. The week after this, my breathing felt weird. I brushed it off as the beginning of a cold. After a few days, the persistent shortness of breath didn’t stop, this was not normal for me. I exercise, I eat healthy (most of the time), and I get rest. I started to panic.

One day during my lunch break, I stopped by the doctor’s office. I told the attending physician, “I don’t care if you have to give me a respirator, a ventilator or a generator, I’m not missing my sons’ game.” He smiled at my attempt at humor. I explained that it was the first game of the season and my son was a starting player. The physician gave recommendations and we considered the issue resolved, for the time being.

The pop-up fly ball I mentioned, quickly turned into a curve ball. It happened the day I noticed that a few items in my fridge seemed warm, so I increased the temperature. The next day, I pulled an ice tray from the freezer, water splashed everywhere. There was also condensation on the bags of frozen vegetables. The end had come for my refrigerator.

I gritted my teeth once more and purchased a new fridge. If I were to grit and grind any more teeth, I would soon need to add dental care to the mound of proverbial curve balls. As if things were not challenging enough, as I left work one day, I noticed a thin line coming down my car windshield. I followed the line with my eyes. A golf ball sized crack, sat chiseled at the top of my windshield, lines like a spider web stemming from it.

Sitting in my driver’s seat, I took a few deep breaths and said, “Lord, I know you got this.” The situation was out of my control. I could cry, but once my tears dried I would have a headache and the shards of glass would still be on my windshield. I needed to let God catch my curve balls.

Just like those kids running the bases in the Meet Me at Second league, God was waiting for me at home base…waiting for me to lean on Him. I prayed and believed things would work out.

My family came through in a clutch. I had a back-up vehicle to drive to the game, we shared the gas expense, and my son had an awesome game.

What will you do when life throws you a curve ball?