February 27, 2015

This morning is the third of four great goals for those who submit to God’s pattern in the Home Run life.

#1 – God loves you more than you will ever know!

“I pray that our of His glorious riches He may strengthen you with power through His Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.”

#2 – There is more to God than you will ever know!

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.”

#3 – God has put more into you than you will ever know!

“and know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.”

How do you know when you are filled with the measure of the fullness of God’s love that He has put within your spirit by His Spirit?

In baseball, the measure of the ability a player has is this, “can he hit the curve ball?”

If you can’t hit a curve ball your potential in baseball is limited to the lower levels of play.

One of the first times I faced a curve ball was in middle school when I went against Stan Frantz. Stan played for South Whitley and was one of those kids who had matured faster than most. He stood on the mound a head taller than the rest of us with well-formed muscles and the shadow of a beard. His fastball had enough speed that he really didn’t need to throw the curve ball. But he did. He tied me in knots.

Stan Frantz forced me to learn how to hit a curve ball, even though I had little success with his. He exposed a weakness and challenged to get better. Through that process he led me to discover that I had what it took to hit a curve ball.

Fast forward nine years. I was a senior in college playing baseball for Indiana Wesleyan against our rival, Taylor University. It was the bottom of the seventh. The score was tied. We had a runner on first when I came to the plate for what I knew would be my last at bat in my college career.

Guess who was on the mound? Yep, Stan Frantz! He looked exactly the same as he did in eighth grade! I knew he didn’t recognize me because I was much bigger and stronger than when I last faced him. Besides, he had no reason to remember me since I had never caused him any concern.

I worked the count to a full count, three balls and two strikes. Having two strikes on me with a man on base I knew what he would throw – the vaunted curve. And this time I was ready for it because I had learned how to keep my hands back and wait on it. I went with it off the outside of the plate, caught it on the fat part of the bat and ripped a slicing line drive down the right field line. As I rounded second base I saw my team mate cross the plate with the winning run and I looked over my left shoulder to see the right fielder just getting to the ball. Those were two very thrilling sights! But the image that is burned on my mind to this day is Stan Frantz walking dejectedly toward his dugout!

I realized at that moment that I had gotten much better and he hadn’t! But I also knew that he was the one who had forced me to improve.

Applying that story to the truth of this Scripture, God will allow life to throw you some curve balls at you to help you understand two things: where you need to get better and to discover the grace He has put in you to get stronger.

In the Home Run life, you will face curve balls at every base, not just at home plate. That is because God wants you to grow in your character, in community and in competence.

You may never know all that God has put into you, but if you submit to His pattern in the Home Run life you will know that it is more than enough!