Reflections from the Home Team August 31, 2018

“In baseball there is no past and there is no future. There is just this pitch.”  Ken Ravizza

A good reminder not only in baseball but also in the game of life!

Greetings from Cedar Falls,

I felt the desire to write today, as it has been a while since I’ve shared some thoughts with my Home Team.  I have been having some concerns with several ongoing “pesky” issues over the past few months and my doctors have scheduled some tests in the next few weeks to try and determine the cause, and what may be a solution.  I’m confident my medical team will help me get to the bottom of them and work for a solution, but it certainly sets the mind in motion! That brings me to this reflection.

I have often reminded myself to “live in the present” not letting my mind to get “stuck” in the past, while also not allowing it to wander into the future, trying to predict what the future may hold for me.

Living in the present is difficult for me because I often tend to live in the past or let my mind wander into the future.  At times, I get stuck with memories, good and bad from the past, and waste precious time trying to renegotiate my history. On the other hand, I also look forward to the future, dreaming about how wonderful it may be, or about how I may be able to tackle its problems.

As my mind wanders, the importance of reminding myself to live in the moment becomes critical when dealing with the challenges that may arise as well as developing the persistence needed to overcome those challenges.  Winston Churchill, one of my favorite characters in history had some great advice about persistence when faced with challenges! We all know that Churchill faced some difficult challenges in his life as a leader.

"Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm"
-- Winston Churchill

You know, Churchill would have been a great baseball manager, because nowhere is failure more prevalent than on the baseball diamond.  It's a well-worn cliché, but hitters who fail seven out of ten times in baseball are .300 hitters, which by baseball standards, is considered to be great!

Baseball is a daily sport with 162 games played in a 183-day span and the best of the best would consider 100 wins an amazing accomplishment.  That means that even those teams would lose 62 times.  The key in baseball, as in life, is to be able to accept a failure and then move on to the next day, or the next at bat, or next pitch without being affected by what just happened.

The late Ken Ravizza, who was a pioneer in teaching mental skills in baseball, was fond of saying that "In baseball there is no past and there is no future, there is just this pitch."  By continually reminding myself that what just happened is over and what is yet to happen is out of my control, I can focus on the moment right in front of me which gives me the best chance of success.

Not sure about you, but I have wondered at times what the future holds for me… Romans 8:28 has helped me with that. 

“We are assured to know that (God, being a partner in our labor) all things work together and are fitting into a plan for good to and for those who love God and are called according to His design and purpose.”

It reminded me that in the busyness of life, some things, many things may be beyond me, but as I spend some time communicating with Him I can handle the next moment as it comes, and the next, and the next. Sometimes I find the most difficult thing for me is accepting what the future looks like to me based on the “predictions” I make for myself while taking into account my current circumstances. The “pains” that come and go are what tend to make my mind race to those predictions. The future however is one of those “secret things” beyond my control, and I need to release it to Him, the rightful Owner. If I do that, I’ll find the resources for today to be sufficient by remembering that the Lord is part of those resources and nothing is impossible with Him. 

My cancer journey has been a journey with many ups and downs…  Since being diagnosed, I have focused on renewing my mind, almost daily, when seeking healing, whether that be physical, emotional or spiritual healing. Given that, I wanted to share in this post some thoughts from my recent presentation at the Cedar Falls Bible Conference.  I appreciated the opportunity to share with the folks who attended.  It was a great conference, full of energy and optimism! My hope was to help provide some encouragement and positivity to those who may be facing challenges in their lives.

You can view my comments, if interested at the following link:

https://vimeo.com/287286282/4741960cbc

As we move into fall, may each of your life journeys be filled with hope, optimism and plenty of encouragement for others!

Blessings your way!

Dave

Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey? If so, Reflections from the Home Team... Go the Distance was written to offer strength, hope and comfort when confronted with a cancer journey's challenges. Share a message of positivity with those you care about. Learn more at this link:

www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/