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Practice, Practice, Practice
Why Am I Getting Hit??
Imagine you are standing up and, for some unknown reason, projectiles appear out of nowhere at random intervals. They hit. They hurt. Some you fend off. Some you catch and toss away. You feel a bit sorry for yourself. You didn’t ask for this treatment, don’t deserve it, and certainly don’t enjoy it.
Whoever is behind the madness seems to want to punish you. You ask, but nobody answers the question, “What is going on here?” Wherever you move, the assault continues, so you give up and just take it like a man, offer it up as prayer, stop trying to get away, defend yourself as you can.
Aha!
Now imagine that this is simply batting practice. How foolish you look there, at the plate, your bat at your feet and your “poor me” look on your face. The coach has set the machine to aim at various angles and intervals to give you the practice you need to swing, to hit the ball out of the park, to find the bat’s sweet spot and learn to use it as an extension of your own body to great effect.
Hey, Batter, Batter…
If you will develop this skill, you’ll be hitting for your home team, initiating a delightful run around the bases, scoring points in collaboration with others who have taken the time to practice. You’ll be in the game instead of pointlessly surviving the baseballs of outrageous fortune.
…Swing!
Life comes at you like this. If it seems like an ordeal, like punishment, like unfairness, it may be because you haven’t realized it’s just practice! Pick up your freedom and swing.
Get hit, fail miserably, swing and miss, feel stupid, be lonely, go rest when you’re tired and come back refreshed, let a few balls pass without even trying, remember the team and the thrill of victory, look forward to the after-party, and thank God for all the opportunities each day gives you to practice the skill of freedom!
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