Reflections from the Home Team- July 7, 2020

The past few weeks have been difficult for me staring down some challenges that have been a part of my life for a while now and some that have just recently popped up. The pandemic has taught me to slow down and tackle them one at a time, but that has not always been a simple task as it’s so easy to succumb to the pessimism that surrounds us which has the potential to suffocate us if we allow it to do so…

Greetings from Cedar Falls,

More than ever over the past few months, I have come to realize we live in an instant culture. We’ve been conditioned to expect fast food, fast travel, and fast internet. We’ve also mastered multi-tasking, so we don’t waste a nanosecond. Impatience rises up when are forced to wait. Unfortunately, this fast-paced, calendar-packed attitude carries over into our daily walk as we deal with the pandemic situation and any number of other challenges that may come our way.

The past few weeks have been difficult for me staring down some challenges that have been a part of my life for a while now and some that have just recently popped up. The pandemic has taught me to slow down and tackle them one at a time, but that has not always been a simple task as it’s so easy to succumb to the pessimism that surrounds us which has the potential to suffocate us if we allow it to do so.  Another thing that I have learned is that it quickly exposes my weaknesses. 

Given all that, one thing that has remained a constant for me is the importance of encouragement in my life, encouragement by others when I face some of these challenges. I learned that lesson early on in my “baseball life”.  I always thought I was a pretty good player. Maybe I lacked the strength and specific skills of some others… my arm strength was a bit south of 90 mph, my 60 yard dash time would have been average for a catcher, but I was a consistent baseball player and I played my heart out every time I stepped on a field. My stats were generally up with the league leaders… but for the most part, no one seemed to take notice or even care. My dad would always try to encourage me. He would challenge me to keep outworking others.  At times I felt I was swimming up a river that was taking me nowhere…

One thing I did notice is that when players moved away from home and had to make decisions for themselves, the players with the above average work ethic and drive, started to close the gap on the talented players. The result was that many of the extremely talented players began to fade, while those with “grit” began to overtake them and stand out above the crowd. I recently read a study done by Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist who was obsessed with learning the science in player development as to who is successful and why?  Her conclusion was that one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success, and it wasn’t IQ, it wasn’t specific skills…It was grit. She defined grit as “having passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out. Not just for the week or month, but for years. And working hard to make that future a reality.”

I have been praying for that “grit” in my life these past few weeks and am so very thankful for the encouragement I have so often received from many of those on my Home Team. As I so often share; “Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve”. Thanks to all for helping me keep that internal fire lit, to keep working on my “game” so that when the “going gets tough”, the grit within will keep me standing at the end.

Jon Gordon recently shared a message in his Weekly Newsletter that touched my heart at a time when I really needed it… It had to do with encouragement and prompted me to share my thanks for all of you who are encouraging others. It reads:

OXYGEN FOR YOUR SOUL

Truett Cathy asked, "How do you know if a man or woman needs encouragement?" He answered, "If they are breathing." With so many suffocating in pessimism today we need encouragement, optimism and faith to provide us with oxygen for our souls. The word encourage means "To put courage into." We all need to encourage and put courage into ourselves and others. Today let's: Attack This Day with Enthusiasm - The word enthusiasm comes from the root word "entheos" which means filled with the divine. Let's tap into a greater power and strength to keep going. Faith in God doesn't make life easier. It makes you stronger. Feed the Positive and Weed the Negative - Your mind is like a Garden.  You need to weed the negative and feed the positive each day to create a fertile environment that produces amazing fruit. The more you feed yourself with the positive the more you can feed others. If you don't have it, you can't share it. Weed, Feed, Share! Be Thankful - You can't be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are feeling blessed you can't be stressed. Think about what you are thankful for right now. Write it down. Think about it throughout the day. Talk to Yourself instead of Listen to Yourself - Don't listen to the fear and negative thoughts that fill your mind with doubt and discouragement. They are lies that try to hold you back and keep you from living your destiny and purpose. Instead speak truth to the lies. The truth is you are here for a reason. You are here to do great things and you have greatness inside of you. The truth is you will prevail through this time. Live and Look Forward - Your vision is greater thank your circumstances and your purpose is greater than your challenges. Stop looking backwards. Your life isn't there anymore. You can't change the past, but you can find focus, optimism and peace in the present to create your future. Stop looking at the negativity on the screen and look up to the heavens. Then look out into your future and think about what you truly want to create. If you can see it you can create it. If you have a vision you also have the power to make it happen. Someone told Zig Ziglar that motivation doesn't last to which he replied, "Neither does bathing. It's why you have to do it each day." Encouragement works the same way. We are facing a difficult time. There's a lot of pain and suffering. The struggle is real but so is your power to overcome. Remember to encourage and put courage into yourself and others each day. Don't worry about the future. Just encourage yourself daily and give your soul the oxygen it needs to be fully alive and thrive.   Stay Positive, -Jon

As Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 when he was struggling with so many issues:

"Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong".

That's it! He got it too. And he went with it for the rest of his days. The very things we dread and run from in our lives are precisely what brought contentment to Paul. What a way to live your life—content in everything—knowing that divine strength comes when human weakness is evident. That's what gave the man of grace true grit. It will do the same for each of us if we allow it to.

Sometimes our current circumstances are so difficult and heavy that we can think of nothing else. Been there a number of times… We wonder if and when God will come to our aid. In those times of difficulty, when groaning often pushes out sleep, when my spirit grows faint, I try to reflect on all the ways God has intervened, helped, strengthened or comforted me in the past. By remembering His faithfulness, it allows me to bolster my trust in God’s future provision for me as I then, watch and wait with anticipation.

There is no quick and easy path to wisdom when it comes to life’s challenges, but God will fill us with His wisdom when we take the time to internalize His Word. Like tough meat requires low, slow heat to tenderize it, we stubborn humans need to ruminate on the rich truths of God’s Word in order to get the most life-changing benefits.

Blessings to all!

Dave

P.S. I have recently submitted an edited manuscript for my second book titled Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! It goes into production tomorrow.  Here’s a quick overview…

Reflections from the Home Team... STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! is intended to be a resource you can turn to each day for hope and encouragement as you take on the daily challenges that life may “pitch” your way. The book is a go-to resource for injecting a healthy dose of positivity into your daily life. Positivity has been proven to make a difference in overcoming negativity and adversity, and each reflection in the book examines positive perspectives and approaches to dealing with those life challenges.

Each reflection includes an encouraging attitude, a spiritual insight and a step to consider which are frequently blended with baseball analogies and metaphors. Life’s challenges are not easy, just as baseball isn’t always easy. The game provides many lessons about success and failure, and those lessons can often be applied in our life journeys. As life’s curveballs and challenges come our way, the author encourages reaching out to our “Home Teams” (both human and divine) for the strength, love, support and comfort needed to meet them.

The book can be used as a daily reflection to find a way forward, one step at a time, and to help create some positive momentum whenever you may feel discouraged and may need a boost.  Remember, life is like a baseball game; when you think a fastball is coming, you have to be ready to hit the curve!

I’ll keep you posted on progress as the process moves forward.

Thanks again! Dave

Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated!  

Be an encourager in someone else’s life!

To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:

www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/