Sometimes You Just Have to Battle

During a 2004 game, Alex Cora of the Dodgers fouled fourteen straight pitches before hitting s homerun.  

That took determination, concentration, and grit.

Sometimes you have to battle through the tough pitches to get the pitch that you want.

Life is full of situations where it seems easier to give in than to battle it out, pitch after pitch, after pitch.

Sometimes you have to wait your turn, but you don't wait passively; you wait by working as hard as you can do that when your opportunity comes, you are prepared and ready to take full advantage.

Shaq told a story that he told his son, a college basketball player, about the ups and downs of sports.  He said that your sports career is full of peaks and valleys.  Some practices, games, and seasons are full of peaks; great moments where you are leading the team and dominating practices and games.  Some practices, games, and season are full of valleys; the tough times where we struggle to make plays, or we aren't starting, or when our team goes through a lot of adversity on and/or off the court.

The things that has to be consistent are our grit, our positive energy and positive self-talk, and our hope.  We have to have the hope and belief that something good is going to happen if we believe and keep working hard for it.

When you are at the plate, or the free-throw line, or on the mat, or at the 50 yard line, or whatever you field of action is, and you are facing adversity, don't allow yourself to get too down.  

The Bible says, "So truly be glad.  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while.  These trials will show you that your faith is genuine.  It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold - though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.  So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

Don't muddle through life swinging only at the easy pitches.  Have faith and keep working and keep believing that something good is going to happen.

I believe in you.