DynaMOTIVATION – PITCHING

Do you know the game of softball? Do you know its rules, strategies and need for teamwork? Do you know how important each player is both for offense (batting) and defense (fielding)? Do you know what pitching is? Let me tell you. “Pitching is a skill of monotonous repetition.” Yes, monotonous repetition which will develop skill.

Pitching softball was one of the most comfortable and satisfying endeavors of my life, and to this day, I have very fond and confident memories of it. I spent hours with that white ball, which wasn’t soft by the way. I spent hours watching more skilled pitchers whom I admired and aspired to be. I spent hours throwing pitch after pitch up against the white cement wall of my father’s farm aiming at the white blocks trying to hit predetermined targets, and with this, developed excellent accuracy and form. I developed this skill with the monotonous repetition which required diligence but had the reward of doing it right.

To become an excellent pitcher, three fundamental aspects should be emphasized: 1) Throw strikes when and where you want. 2) Develop the correct spin on the ball. 3) Let speed come as you develop; don’t push it; it will happen.

So here we go: the spiritual analogy.

As I consider these three aspects I see the spiritual connection: Let’s think about it. “Throw strikes when and where you want.” It doesn’t matter how fast your speed, how curvy your ball, or how you look, if you can’t throw strikes you ruin your team. I think this is the first and most important rule or “commandment” for the pitcher – throw strikes. In fact, my father said this more to me than any other phrase in the human language, and he saw me throw strikes. I could easily hear him yell, “Throw strikes,” from the sidelines. It was always the last thing he said to me before I left home to go to a game. So, how about you, are you throwing spiritual strikes? Are you throwing the words and actions that correlate with the commandments of God? Are you throwing these words and actions at the right target and at the right time? Are you throwing these words and actions on the field of God’s will? It matters.

What about the correct spin? Do you have the correct spin on your words and actions? Is your motive one of love and truth? Is every word and action filled with humility and truth? Is your goal filled with the desire to encourage another person to grow closer to God or to keep them from danger and deception? Or are you looking for applause from men? Are you looking for an achievement that fuels your arrogance and need for approval? It matters. Motive always matters – the truth with love and all with humility.

And what about speed? Proverbs says that “He who is hasty of spirit exalts folly.” I love this verse. It points out the reason that I get impatient on many occasions. It points out the cause of my mistakes and errors. It points out how the rashness of my words and actions leads to consequences that I never intended. With development, speed will come. Speed should never be our focus. Wait on God. His timing is what matters. He is in no hurry. He commands the wind and the waves. We don’t have to rush him, but instead, we can wait patiently in expectation as we lay our requests and concerns before Him every morning. He will satisfy us early.

Doing things God’s way, simply obeying His commands, speaking and acting with loving motives and waiting on Him and His timing might seem like an effort of monotonous repetition, but this is God’s way. Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” He said easy. Easy usually means a bit monotonous, but all of the small steps of monotonous repetition add up to huge buckets of accomplishments, of actions of love, of words that encourage to effect change in everyone for eternity. It doesn’t have to be hard; it’s OK to be easy; it’s OK to do what is monotonous if it is the will of the Father. Love and forgive, for everyday, for everyone, for everything – monotonous repetition that develops great skill.

So pitching in the game of softball even causes me to think on God and His principles. I’m glad. Softball is fun, but oh how much better it is to bask in the principles of God; to delight to do his will by following his commandments (throwing strikes) but spinning correctly (doing things with His motive – with love, truth and humility) and by waiting patiently (letting speed come with development of accuracy). It all matters. LET’S GO!!

PROVERBS 14:29

“He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is hasty of spirit exalts folly.