K is for Knock One Over the Fence

There is a period of time when the awkwardness of the teen years fade and you gain strength and confidence. Everything just seems to click. During that time, I found out just how much I loved to play softball. I couldn’t wait for warm spring days and fair skies. That meant it was finally time to play. My best friend and I had just spent the months of January and February putting together a roster of players for a women’s slow pitch softball team. We spent March and April getting ready for the first game in May. Some people don’t like to practice, but to me it was almost as fun as being in a game.

I had all the equipment; cleats, 26 oz. aluminum alloy bat, batting glove and a black Wilson glove that fit my hand just perfect. I was prepared and was ready to play. Spending my fair share of quarters at the batting cage, I imagined giving that ball a ride right over the fence. Learning not to kill the ball was crucial, but to watch the ball all the way to the contact of the bat. Then I worked to perfect my swing with the correct wrist snap. I was a solid hitter. Just over the second basemen head into right center field was my goal.

Quick reflexes, being able to jump high and most of all - all the practicing, had made me a good first basemen. If the ball came in the general area I could catch it…most of the time. Except for once, when the ball took a bounce off the top of my glove into my left eye leaving the resulting shiner that I proudly wore for the next month.

Analyzing the strengths of the players and utilizing this to place the best player in the best position made us a strong team and on a good day, a force to be reckoned with. In fact, on one good day, during a tournament, my 2^nd baseman preformed an unassisted triple play. What a feeling that was! The whole team was ecstatic! In fact, it still gives me goose bumps to recall those glory days.

All the fun, the friendships that I made and the feeling of working together as a team is not by accident but by plan. When God puts you in a place, the perfect place for your abilities, strengths and desires and then He puts people around you to compliment the work that you do together it is not by accident but by plan. The ultimate coach in heaven can build a dream team, a force to be reckoned with and then He puts you into position to exalt you into the triple plays of your life. Wow, what a feeling He must have when that happens! For love of the game, it’s not by accident, but by plan. Now, go ahead and knock one over the fence!

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