Hit the Ball Where It Lands

As I was watching late at night (due to the time difference in England) some of the tennis matches that were happening in Wimbledon, I got to thinking…

A player who normally does not miss certain “easy” shots was hitting many into the net or overplaying them over the boundary lines. Because of this the player was struggling to win the games. Then a commentator said something that made more sense.

As the tennis matches at Wimbledon are played on grass and as the rounds progress from in the first round 128 players down to 64 players then 32 players etc. etc. to the final winner, the grass gets worn. On the tv screen or live in the court you can especially see the grass threadbare around where the player serves from and the baselines where the ball often is hit, and the players stand.

As the games progress from first, second, third and fourth rounds to quarter finals, semifinals and the final, the grass gets more worn and often gets down to the dirt.

These uneven areas can affect how the ball bounces. The ball can hit a spot and not bounce as high and so the player trying to hit and return the ball to win the point does not account for the difference in bounce and so misses the shot he had wanted to play.

The players need to continually adjust to what is happening to the ball.

These comments made me remember when Bruce was giving a talk to youth many years ago at a Youth Convention on “Hitting the Ball where it lands”. Bruce had dressed up as Roger Federer and had a huge basket of tennis balls. As he spoke, he would hit one ball at a time into the audience. He had the same number of balls as delegates.

As he spoke and hit a ball with the tennis racket he stated, “You don’t know where in your life the ball will bounce. You need to be malleable and to your best ability hit the ball back into the court.” You don’t know what life will throw at you, but you need to learn to be resilient, to have a persevering spirit, relying on God to get you through.

Paul wrote to Timothy, a ‘young gun’ follower, preacher, believer of God to continue to fan the flame of belief, to fan the flame of his gift given by God……

⁶ For this reason I remind you to rekindle the gift of God that is within you through the laying on of my hands; ⁷ for God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:6-7 NRSV

Timothy’s spirit was no longer being stirred by the love of God and the sufficiency of Christ so Paul writes to encourage him to fan into flame the gift, the passion, the boldness and courage rooted in the love of God. To overcome his fears and fulfil his gospel Ministry.

Well maybe I’m not a ‘young gun’ anymore, but I have wisdom, gifting and purpose that can be used by God. We all need extra encouragement at times to stay the path, hold on, and to hit the ball back where it lands, even if it bounces differently…….

Let us ask Our God for help in hitting the ball back and adjusting to what ball may come our way. Know that God is there with us no matter what type of “ball” it is.

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Have you had moments in your life that a ‘curve-ball’ has landed where you did not expect? What did you do to respond?

How can you apply the scripture St Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 1:6-7 to your life?

How can you rely on God and the giftings that He has given you to hit the ball where it lands?