Baseball and Courage

He stood just inside the batters box. 10 years old, heart pounding, sweat forming on his upper lip. His hands gripped the bat with white knuckled determination, his face set with a mixture of fear and hope, his eyes steady on the pitchers glove. He was ready as the ball came speeding towards him, he hesitated for a second and then swung hard...too high, he missed! Cheers and calls of encouragement from the parents watching and his team mates...then silence as the pitcher wound up again. Nothing but this moment mattered to him. It was huge, it felt like everything in his life was riding on this one moment in time. He eyed the pitcher, licked his lips and readied his bat. The pitcher let the ball fly...outside..."Ball 1" the Umpire announced. 

"Way to watch it!" His audience cheered. His heart beats even faster. Now hope, fear and disappointment wrestle in his mind. Failure is not an option...grim determination makes him grip the bat tighter. I can do this...

The pitcher winds up again, a fast ball right over the plate. He swings hard...a few seconds behind the ball. " Striiiiike 1!" 

Did the umpire need to shout so loud? 

Focusing on the pitcher, remembering coach's words about the batters stance, he readies the bat again. The ball comes fast, he swings as hard as he can...the bat connects! Only a moments surprised hesitation and he is off and running. Cheers erupt from the audience and his team. The ball is in play and the opposing team is playing hard. The ball comes flying at first base just as he slides in.

"Safe!"

I know he's only 10. I know it's little league baseball, but at moments like these it doesn't feel like it. It feels enormously important and takes great courage. No one likes to fail. Not at baseball and not at life.

Life is hard. Life is not fair. I tell my kids that all the time. Maybe you don't agree with that and you think I should be more encouraging? I try to be a balance of both, but if you go out into life thinking it's always fair, everyone always gets the exact same size of chocolate bar, you can always have the blue cup when you want it, or your team always deserves to win...you will be in for a very unpleasant surprise. 

Life is beautiful, yes...it has wonderful moments of joy and laughter, but it is also hard. I don't know what trials and difficulties have come your way, I don't know what battle you faced with white knuckled determination like my son and his baseball game. No, I don't know. But I do know this, in the hardest, scariest moments of life I have found a remedy.

Be Strong and courageous. Don't be afraid or terrified...for the Lord your God goes with you;He will never leave you or forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6

God is with you. For the christian there is no greater comfort. God is with YOU! As you face your battles with your tired heart, weary eyes, aching soul...God is with you.  

As I watched my son step up to bat the ball my heart was pounding too. My palms were sweating and my heart was aching for him and hoping he would do well. My heart hurts when his hurts, I feel disappointed when he feels it; I am nervous when he is. I want him to do well but I can't bat for him. I am his mother, he has to figure it out on his own, but I will be there cheering and encouraging and loving him!

God feels sorrow when we do, he hurts when we hurt. He doesn't face your trial for you, but he is there with you. He is encouraging, coaching, directing, loving...right there with us.

When we face our battles with courage He is cheering for us. When we fail he is loving and encourages us to keep on. He is always with you.

Hold on to that promise. No matter what you are facing, big or little, he cares. He is there.

God is with you.