When Life Sends You a Curveball

I’ve got baseball on my mind. This all-American pastime used to be a significant part of our family's life. With three teenage boys on three different teams (plus tournaments), we attended a lot of games. Back in those days, I tried not to count the number because it overwhelmed me (I think our record was 75 games in one summer!), but that season is behind us and now I only watch them play for fun.

A while ago I found myself sitting in a restaurant looking up at a baseball game on TV with my sons. And, believe it or not, I realized I was missing baseball. I had fond memories of sitting in the stands on a beautiful summer evening watching them play. I remembered the smell of the grass and dust, the sounds of the bat against the ball, and the cheers of the other fans.  Of course, my boys laughed at me as we took this stroll down memory lane, but we did spend some time talking baseball.

What is a Curveball?

Two of my sons pitched, so I was asking them about curveballs. I know that when I think of a curveball, the dictionary definition comes to mind: something which is unexpected, surprising, or disruptive. But I wanted to understand more about curveballs in baseball. What are they and when and why does a pitcher throw one?

My oldest son was very helpful in answering these questions. He told me that after he throws an inside fast pitch, he then uses his curveball to throw the batter off or cause him chase the ball. Since the curveball (if thrown correctly) is meant to trick or deceive the batter into thinking the ball is coming in one way, it usually works. My son also called it a “finishing pitch,” designed to strike out the batter and finish him at the plate. Here is what the professionals add to his description:

A successful major league batter gets a hit only 30 percent of the time he comes to bat. One of the ways pitchers lower these chances even further is by throwing a curveball. A curveball is a pitch that appears to be moving straight toward home plate but that is actually moving down and to the right or left by several inches. Obviously, a pitch that curves is going to be harder to hit than a fastball that is moving straight.

Kinds of Curveballs 

So how does all of this baseball talk relate to our personal curveballs? What kind of curveballs can we experience as we walk the journey of faith and life?

1.  Some are minor daily inconveniences:  

• A child gets sick, and you have to change your plans. 
• You get a speeding ticket as you are rushing to an appointment. 
• Your boss asks you to stay late to work on a project when you scheduled time with your family.
• The weather upsets the day’s activities.

2.  Some knock us off-balance:  

• Someone hits your car and causes major damage. 
• The refrigerator stops working, and there is no money in the budget to replace it. 
• Your child gets hurt playing sports and requires surgery.
• A good friend shares something about you behind your back.

3.  And some curve balls threaten to strike us out and take us completely out of the game: 

• A loved one is diagnosed with cancer.
• You lose your job.
• A spouse is unfaithful.
• Someone close to you dies.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we knew the curveballs were coming and could prepare in advance? Unfortunately, just like in baseball, the game of life doesn’t work that way. The solution is not to avoid curveballs; they will be thrown. Jesus reminds us in John 16:33a, “In this world, you will have trouble.” We cannot waste our precious time and energy trying to avoid curveballs; instead, we need to focus on how we will respond when we are at the plate, and a curveball takes us by surprise.

One of my favorite quotes by Charles Swindoll is so applicable when dealing with situations that threaten to take us out of the game: “Life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.”

Personally, I have had some major curveballs thrown at me in almost every area of my life the past month: my health, my ministry, my family, and my friendships. They have not only surprised and shocked me, but they have also threatened to sideline me completely. Have you been there? Are you there today?

These curveballs have made me want to walk away and give up on the game altogether. Just like a batter can be humiliated at the plate for whiffing at a ball that he never sees coming, we can feel the same way. A batter is exposed at the plate. All eyes are on him as the ball leaves the pitcher's hand and launches at high velocity. The pressure can be overwhelming. And when life throws you an unexpected curveball, the experience is full of the same emotion and exposure. Everyone seems to be watching and waiting.

How will she handle it?

Will she take a swing and strike out?

Can she stay in the game?

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be the player stuck in the dugout because of fear of striking out. God calls us to fight fear with faith. In the remainder of the verse in John 16:33b  Jesus encourages us, “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

How Do You Deal with Life’s Curveballs?

God can even use the game of baseball to teach us some profound truths: there is a way to handle life’s curveballs with His help.

Use this acrostic C-U-R-V-E as a guide for how to do this:

1. Call out to Jesus.

He knows what's life is throwing at you and is right there to help.

“This poor man called, and the Lord heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles” (Ps. 34:6).

2.  Use the Bible to gain wisdom and understanding.

God's Word can speak to you in your confusion, pain, and suffering.

“For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope”  (Rom. 15:4).

3.  Reach out to others for encouragement and support. 

Don’t go it alone! There are other players on your team who want to be there for you.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thess. 5:11).

4.  View this curveball as an opportunity to grow stronger, wiser, and better.

Try to see curveballs as teachable moments for growth and maturity in your Christian walk.

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (Jas. 1:3).

5.  Expect to be continually thrown curveballs throughout life.

Do not allow them to make you anxious or lose hope. Bring every one of them to the Lord.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Phil. 4:6).

Has a curveball caught you by surprise? Have you encountered some surprises that have caught you off your game? Take heart, lean on Jesus, and, by faith, determine to stay in the game. God will not leave your side.

~ By Carla Gasser