"Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch
cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful
unless you remain in me." John 15:4
The purpose of coming up to home plate in baseball
is to connect with the ball.
I will never forget my first time coming to the
plate for my first at bat in college. It was a moment I had imagined and
dreamed about for years. When I was playing pick-up games with my buddies on a
vacant lot I would pretend I was in college.
But when that moment actually came I was a nervous
wreck. My knees were quivering and my hands were shaking and I just hoping no
one would notice the twitching.
Adding to the pressure of the moment was the fact we
were playing against one of our fierce rivals, Grace College. And Grace College
is located in my home town so I had family members there.
And oh, one more thing, the bases were loaded.
The walk from the on deck circle to the batter’s box
seemed like a mile. I kept taking deep breaths and letting them out slowly
hoping it would relax me.
When I finally got to the batter’s box I stopped
before I stepped in and looked down to the third base coach to get my sign.
Since bases were loaded and only one out I wasn’t expecting anything other than
“swing away”. I tried to envision myself hitting a line drive out into the gap
and clearing the based. But when I looked down to the coach he gave me the bunt
sign. My mouth went dry. I knew that the bunt sign with a man on third meant it
wasn’t just a bunt sign it was a suicide bunt.
A suicide bunt meant that as soon as the pitched
released the ball the runner on third would be heading down the third base line
at full speed. If I were to make contact with the ball and lay down the bunt he
would cross the plate and score. But if I missed the ball he would be a dead
duck tagged out by the catcher at the plate.
No pressure.
The pitcher threw the pitch. I squared around to
bunt. As I squared to bunt I saw the runner coming out of the corner of my eye
and thankfully I saw a waist high fastball also headed my way. At that point my
instincts took over and I laid down a perfect bunt.
I had connected with the ball and my teammate
connected with the plate and those connections earned me some love from the
coaches.
As memorable as that connection was at home plate,
it pales in comparison to the thrill I get when I connect with God by faith!
The love that comes with that connection is beyond comparison!
In the Home Run life, home plate is where the
connection with God happens. Home plate is where everything begins and ends.
And God never gives you the bunt sign! He always
says, “Swing away!”