How Do You Hit a Curve Ball?

I am not a softball or baseball player.  In fact, I am not sure I even attended many baseball games until I got married and started having ball players!   I was the mom on the bench yelling and cheering them on, yet not totally clued in on all the rules.  My sons and daughter have played pitcher, catcher, infield, outfield and first base.  Although my husband played in high school and my father-in-law was a semi-professional baseball player, my own knowledge can be summed up in the last sentence about the positions my children played.


HOWEVER, one term I do know is the curve ball.  Since three of my children were pitchers and my late father-in-law got his spoken name of  "Lefty" because he pitched left-handed, I know this term means you are trying to catch your opponent batter off guard.

Out of all six of my children, there is one child that has been dealt more curve balls than anyone in our life... it is my daughter.  Some of these curve balls were thrown at her by the opponent to knock her out of the game of life.  Other curve balls were ones she allowed by making some wrong choices and then others are just the fact we live in broken world.  BUT, MAY I SAY....................THEY  HAVE NEVER TAKEN HER OUT OF THE GAME OF LIFE!

I just need to list some of the more recent "life-changing, possibly-take-you-out-of-the-game" curve balls she has hit out of the ball park for a home run.

The same day that her "Knight in shining armor" proposed to her, her father (my hubby) lost his job.  We were jumping with joy over her engagement while wondering how we were going to be able to pay bills.  How would we pay for a wedding?  Our financial struggles had already put us on a roller coaster for a few years and we were sinking again.  That unemployment journey took one year to complete before my husband got a regular job.  Did she run and pout about us not being able to throw our one and only daughter the wedding of her dreams?

NO!, she looked straight at that curve ball and decided, "you just watch me!" and proceeded to hit it straight out of the ball park, by paying for her own dream wedding.

Score - Pure Victory 1 - Opponent 0

The next curveball came with excitement, but meant she would have to alter how she hit the ball. Their honeymoon brought pregnancy and Baby David was born nine months later.  Housing had to change during the pregnancy to handle a baby.  The one room apartment wouldn't work for a growing child.

Score - Pure Victory 2 - Opponent 0

Just as they were walking in the joy of parenting and she was working to bring in extra income, they decided to buy a house.  This would be the house with the backyard where the active David would play.   This would be the house she would decorate and hewn in her homemaking skills.  The process was long...a few foul balls along the way put them living with friends for months before they entered their home.


Score - Pure Victory 3 - Opponent 0

As the young family started to see how newlyweds and a new baby made a family, they discovered they were to be parents again of, not one new baby, but TWINS!  As Pooh would say - "Oh My!"  She giggled and laughed, while chasing around a toddler, and trying to see how they could financially make it without her bringing in an income.

TWINS were born!!!

Score - Pure Victory 4 - Opponent 0

She hit it out of the ball park.  There hasn't ever been the joy I have felt from being her mom like I have felt as I have watched her mother three children under the age of 2! She laughs, she plays, she just flat out enjoys those boys!!  Not one time have I felt she couldn't do this.  Not only is she doing this....she makes it look easy.  When the twins were only a month old, she knew living off of one income with a mortgage was going to be a challenge, so she started her own furniture business.  Her garage is full of sawdust and wood.  The jobs have been pouring in.  Babies on her hips and she keeps going.

Score - Pure Victory 5 - Opponent 0

Then the next curve ball came this week.  She called.  We need to sell the house and do it fast.  As much as they had tried to avoid this coming...............it came.  She stands up to bat.  Will she bunt...and try to make it to first base only?  Will she just let it strike her out and walk back to the dug- out feeling defeated?  Will she stand strong and hit the ball out of the ball park?

The sale of her home means they will downsize drastically. She will sell much of her furniture.  Their life....temporarily will take them on a different walk.  She will move to an unfamiliar city.  She will have to take this adjustment and move forward for her husband and her boys.

I don't know the end of the story.  She and I have both cried.  I would say there have been some strikes...not three, and a few foul balls, from both of us.  Yet, she stands strong holding on to the source who has ALWAYS....YES.., ALWAYS BROUGHT HER THROUGH TO COMPLETE VICTORY!!!  Her Saviour and Lord.  As we drove around looking at houses for her, she joined me in singing Praise to the Lord.  You see, We will not be overtaken, we will not be overcome............. because the truth is... the Lord is swinging the bat!