Thank you God.
“I haven’t taken up my cross. Sadly, I’m only dragging it along slowly…..” – The Profit
"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Luke 9:23
I’m so busy at work recently. Maybe that’s why I don’t have entry #2. Well, I’m still very busy but who cares – I have something on my mind.
My Softball Analogy to Taking up the Cross
I’ve struggled early this summer in softball. I’ve always been a great hitter. If there are people on base, I am Mr. RBI. If I lead off an inning, I WILL get on base. Can I hit Homeruns? Yeh. I can crank them in a game, but sometimes. If we need a game winning hit? I’m Mr. Pressure Cooker.
But not this summer – I account it to my knee and shoulder problems, but this summer, I stunk. Garbage. Bases loaded vs. Trinity? Infield fly – I’ve NEVER hit an infield fly!! MSBL men’s league – 2 men on base? Strike out! Unbelievable. I hit avg .450 in my leagues. I know my skills. This is not me.
So I said enough of this, let’s go back to the basics and change things up. Enter www.swingmechanics.com . At about beginning of August, I found this site on some softball forums. This avg size dude can hit the ball 400ft… and he attributes it to his technique. I’ve read and re-read his site, played his videos clips over 100 times – analysing each and every little move of his style.
He uses a weird grip. It’s called the ‘overlap’ – I call it the “hamster grip’. You hold your bat like u would squeezing a hamster! When I first saw it, man, this is crazy! I can barely hold the bat!
His stance is weird. Subtle. Relaxed. Upright. But then, Boom – explosion on the ball. Batspeed-batspeed-batspeed… I was a supporter of this – but I never tried it his way. But I realize now that all the great softball hitters have some variation of his style. He just explains it best.
So I started trying it out. My first hitting practice my hands went numb. Multiple pain and bruises in my hand. My major muscle groups were in pain. It’s crazy – but, it works! So I keep practicing. I felt revived.. I felt confident. I found consistency.
Exhibition game vs. Manna – I hit the ball so far, I don’t think anyone hit it that far before. To right field trees – then to the left field trees. Final couple games, multi-homeruns both games – real ones. NCAC HR Derby – champion. MSBL regular season – I hit singles all season – I ended with 2 doubles – drives to the fence. MSBL playoffs – oh man – I have 3 HR’s – long bombs over the fence. I have monster hitters on my team. I’m tied for my team’s playoff HR lead. I also have 2 doubles. And 1 single.
I am no longer a hitter. I’m a power hitter. A Homerun hitter. My teammates count on it now. I’m not the player I am before. I am totally different. I’ve killed the old, born in the new. My approach, my grip, my stance, my mindset, everything I do now I’ve completely changed. Get this: from day 1 when I looked at the hamster grip, to the bruises and pain in my hands, to now? I CANNOT grab a bat anymore the OLD way. I can only use the Hamster grip now. There’s no going back. I only know how to wag my bat, I only know how to hit the ball hard – sorry Frank! ( I gave Frank a watermelon sized bruise on his thigh by hitting him with a softball!) – I expect to hit HR’s now. GO DEEP OR GO HOME is my adopted motto. Did I mention I only weigh 150lbs?
I just realized that I’ve killed my old, quite successful hitting style and took upon this new, outrageous, different style that seemed crazy/impossible at first… but now? I’m completely absorbed into it. I cannot do without it. I don’t even know how to hold a bat the ‘usual’ way anymore.
Is this what Jesus is talking about?? John Piper (don’t waste your life), Rick Warren(purpose driven life), Lee Strobel (case for Christ) all talk about this. COMPLETELY kill your life and live the new. Pick up your cross and follow. I know for a fact that I’m not picking it up. I’m still weak. I am only dragging it along. I’m working on it though. But how come I can’t do it like I can with the “hamster grip”? why can’t I envision the superjoy and superlove that I will experience in taking up the cross – like I can when I smack those hr’s?
In fact, I think this is EXACTLY what they are talking about. I hope I can start picking up that cross – I think the ultimate would be to carry it only with one arm! – that’s like hitting a grand slam.
“give us clean hands, give us pure hearts” – I am proud to have these… it’s just my bad habits and old lifestyle that is not complete…. For now…..but I don’t think there is a single person who has the cross lifted in one arm. It’s a lifelong carry…….
Thank you God. | 
