Curveballs

But those who wait for the Lord [who expect, look for, and hope in Him] shall change and renew their strength and power: they shall lift their wings and mount up [close to God] as eagles [mount up to the sun]: they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint or become tired. – Isaiah 40:31

I was speaking with a close friend of mine this week about a certain circumstance that I’ve been struggling with for the past little while.  He was doing his best to encourage me but I was doing my best to not be encouraged.  I told him that every time I felt I had life somewhat under control, I would be thrown a curveball.  I could hear the victory in his voice when he replied, “To hit a curveball you have to sit back and wait on it.  When it breaks, drop your shoulder, step into it, and hit it!”  I stood in my kitchen, knowing that God was speaking to me.  Isn’t it funny that, at times, we as Christians become so passionate in telling others about our problems that when God speaks a word of encouragement we want to argue with Him?!  That comment stopped me though.  “To hit a curveball you have to wait on it until it breaks.”

How many of you can relate to the curveballs of life?  I definitely can.  There have been so many times that have felt I had everything under control only to find another trial around the corner.  A precious woman of God was praying with me and said in her prayer, “God, we believe that you are able to keep that which we commit to you!”  Well, I do believe that, but what happens when I feel as if I have committed and committed and committed the same trial over and over again.  My spirit cries out, “God, are you really keeping this at all?”  And then I cry.  I cry these bitter tears.  I cry tears that I was certain I had shed multiple times before.  I cry and question my Savior.  I broke in my best friends arms and asked her, “When will God show up?  When will I see something good from all of this mess?”  The battle within my Spirit bad begun.  The struggle in my mind was occurring.  During this battle of questions and tears I began to feel the guilt.  Guilt has plagued my mind on several occasions and always asks the same questions, “Why would you doubt a God that has been so good to you?  Look at what all this person is facing and endured and they still trust Him!”  So now I feel unworthy to even ask my Savior for help.  Life threw me a curve ball.  Strike one.

“To hit a curve ball you have to wait….”  Wait.  As a child my uncle has a picture of an eagle in his office with Isaiah 40:31 quoted on it.  I loved that verse because I related to it the picture of the eagle soaring.  “Those who wait on the Lord…”  I began to focus on the word wait.  The Amplified Bible explains those who wait as those who are expecting, those who are looking for, and those who are hoping in Him.  These are they that God says He will renew in strength and power.  These that wait on God – they will have strength to mount up close to God.  They can run through life and passed all its hardships and not even get weary.  They can walk and keep walking and they wont faint.  They can do all this because they sat back and waited on God.  In that time of waiting while they were expecting their Savior, He was renewing them and causing strength to rise up.  So, the curveball is thrown and we wait on it…until it breaks…

…and it will break.  I was fussing at Trish and told her that the reason the Word says “it came to pass” 457 times was because there was always a trial that someone had to deal with.  I was right but so was she (she loves it when I admit that)…the trial still came to pass….they break.  If we as Christians could learn to wait on God then we can be renewed and strengthened.  We can draw closer to God so when it does break and the trial does pass….we can run.  We can hit the curveball that life throws, and hit it out of the park even, because we are strengthened….because we waited….

I am still facing a trial but the difference today is that I’m waiting for my break…I’m expecting my Savior to show up.  He always has.  I’ve committed this trial to Him, so He always will…..Grand Slam.

 

 

Author: Britney Wilkes

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