Curve Balls... 05/04/2011
 
I know, baseball season has only just started.  And to be honest, I haven’t even seen a game yet this season.  But I’ve been thinking about curve balls anyway…
 
The curve ball is one of those pitches that is difficult to learn to master, and equally difficult to learn to hit.  When thrown properly, the ball curves upward and then breaks before it gets to the plate.  The break of the arc is considerably different than a standard fast ball pitch and drops considerably before the batter has a chance to hit it.  Some people say it’s just an optical illusion; others (including a scientist who used a wind tunnel – makes you wonder if there aren’t more important science things he could work on) have tested it and say that it is real.  In any event, it’s hard to judge and hard to hit.  And when it’s thrown poorly it can be a pitch without any control that can damage the batter and the pitcher.  In any event, it’s unexpected!
 
And that’s part of the reason that I’ve been thinking about curve balls:  the unexpectedness.  Our lives are full of unexpected things.  Sometimes they’re good – like smashing a curve ball out of the park.  They’re things like a friend unexpectedly coming to visit or acing a test or a sunny day when all that is forecast is pouring rain.  And sometimes they’re not so good – like getting hit in the head by a wild pitch (aka a badly thrown curve ball).  They’re things like a pop quiz that you weren’t prepared for or falling asleep on the bus and missing your stop or getting your heart broken by that special friend.  It seems like everyday there are unexpected things happening, curve balls being thrown in our lives. 
 
As I was getting ready for Easter, I was reading about a curve ball thrown on Easter morning.  It was the first day of the week and the women were going to the tomb to see Jesus’ body.  They knew what to expect.  He’d died on Friday, was quickly wrapped in cloths, and laid in a tomb.  The stone was rolled over it and it was shut up for that long Saturday.  They knew what to expect.  They knew it would smell, so they brought some spices.  They knew the body would need some more preparation.  They knew that they’d have to move that big heavy stone.  They knew what it was going to be like.
 
But when they got there:  a curve ball!  Nothing was as they expected.  First there was an earthquake and then an angel rolled the stone away (whew – that saved them that heavy effort!).  But then the angel said what they never expected:  “He is risen!”  Jesus wasn’t there, He had risen and gone ahead of them.  They looked in and you can only imagine the amazement on their faces.  I bet they had to look twice!  And just as they were turning to go tell the others, they saw Him!  They saw Jesus!  Talk about another curve ball!  I can safely say, that wasn’t what they were expecting!  To read the whole story for yourself, check out Matthew 28:1-10.
 
Those women were thrown a curve ball that first Easter morning.  And their lives changed because of it.  What they thought they knew about the world and about death and about God had just changed forever.  They had a new hope, a hope that gave them life and relationship with God.  Their lives had new meaning – they were the first ones who got to tell their friends about Jesus.  Their world was changing; a curve ball had been thrown.
 
When those women came to the tomb, they weren’t expecting the right things.  And I wonder how often we do the same thing, we expect the wrong things.  How often do we expect to encounter the Risen Jesus in our churches, our homes, our schools?  How often does Jesus throw us a curve ball that we’re not ready for?   Do we have the hope of life, the hope of relationship with Jesus?  Do we have that same sense of purpose, that same gift to tell others?  Are we ready for the unexpected?
 
Our lives are full of curve balls, of things we don’t expect.  And our lives are full of people and places that need the hope that only Jesus can give and the good news that Jesus has risen.  And that’s the good news that we can share!  So, the next time you’re thrown a curve ball, the next time something unexpected happens to you, I’d encourage you to see if you can find Jesus in that unexpected event too!
 
-DMH
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