Dana's Christian Journey

I don’t want to make too much of batting practice on my driveway, but perhaps there’s a lesson to be learned. After the magnificent hit a couple of weeks ago, there has been no occasion to celebrate. John has been a good hitter for several years (he’s hit two home runs over the fence in little league), but one day last week a horrible slump ensued.

Players encounter slumps in every sport, so there’s no huge worry, but since prayer factored into reaching a difficult goal, I wondered if John would suggest we pray about his slump. He didn’t… ball after ball I pitched and swing after swing he missed. It was crazy.

To make matters worse, eight-year-old Charlie who lives across the street, started throwing tennis balls in the air and hitting them with a stick. John just got more and more frustrated. Finally, I could stand it no longer and said, “John, maybe we need to pray like the other day.” He replied, “No… I just can’t hit…” And so the day ended in sad defeat.

I think John will return to his good hitting form one day, but this reminded me of my own history. Sometimes I depend on the Lord; sometimes I don’t. Occasionally I have the type of faith that believes God will really move mountains (and He has), but other times I don’t even consider praying… and if anyone suggests it, I might think, “You can pray if you want, but nothing is going to happen.”

Jesus wants me to know that He does not change. He is not wishy-washy… up one day, down the next. He is God. “You can’t depend on your mood… but you can depend on Me.” Paul wanted believers to know Christ so well that they would never neglect to depend on Him. Let’s encourage one another in like manner.

Paul wrote, “I want you to know how much I am struggling for you… My purpose is that you be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that you may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that you may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge…

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thanksgiving.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of the world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.” Colossians 2:1-10

Starting with Taylor in the early 1990’s, I’ve pitched tennis balls to our kids in the driveway as batting practice. (We have the best neighbors in the world.) For months, ten-year-old John has tried to reach a goal that I was beginning to think impossible. If he could hit a ball as far as a house across the street (the one on the left in the picture), I would take him to get a treat. The first challenge is the distance but the greater challenge is the narrow gap he has to hit in order to avoid bushes, trees, and other obstacles. After literally thousands of attempts, John never reached the goal… until last week.

After thirty or forty swings, out of the blue, John said, “Dana, I think we need to pray.” I laughed to myself and agreed with him. “Great… go ahead and pray.” John said, “No, you do it.” So I prayed out loud on our driveway that a little boy could hit a ball to a certain place in our neighbor’s yard. Within ten pitches the goal was accomplished. We ran to the spot, confirmed the measurement, and celebrated with great enthusiasm. John yelled, “Thank you God!” After going in the house to tell Susan, we headed to Smoothie King.

Right in the middle of Jesus’ instruction to love one another, He talks about asking for things of the Father in His Name. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name.” (John 15:16)

I imagine God knows that as we mature, we’ll care about far more important matters than children’s games, but John took the preliminary step we often omit… he remembered to ask.

On the road to Jericho, a beggar cried out at the top of his voice when he heard Jesus was near: “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Without reading the story we would probably guess that Jesus healed the man. He did… but first He asked a question: “What do you want Me to do for you?” The man replied, “Lord, I want to see.” (see Luke 18:35-43)

Jesus invites us to ask. Even though we know God sees our situation and knows all things, we are to ask. Ask like a child of God, ask like a persistent widow, ask like a friend of Jesus… ask like a ten-year-old boy.

“Then Jesus told the disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” Luke 18:1

“So I say to you: Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” Luke 11:9-13