Keep Your Eye on the Ball

“When you serve others you actually begin a healing process in your own life. It is one of the mysteries of my kingdom… When you become self-focused, you begin to get depressed and you internalize your problems. But when you begin to serve others, you step out into a broader perspective. Embrace this mystery and you will see your joy returning.” – Os Hillman

My two favorite sports are baseball and golf. Both of them require good eye-to-hand coordination.

In baseball, the batter must follow the ball from the second it leaves the pitcher’s hand until it crosses the plate. He must also try to pick up the rotation of the ball, so he knows whether it is a fastball, a slider, or a curve… or even a knuckleball. Fielders must also follow the ball – in the air or on the ground – into their glove.

Golf is a little different in that the ball is stationary. And yet, how many times do amateur golfers swing and miss… or mishit a ball that is sitting motionless at their feet? The #1 mistake in golf is lifting and turning your head to see where the ball is going to go instead of keeping it (and your eyes) focused on the ball through impact.

Life is the same way. If we focus on our problems, they will grow and grow until they are the size of Mount Everest. And if we pay more attention to what we lack instead of what we have, we will become bitter, disheartened, and disillusioned.

As Os Hillman said in today’s quote, one of the best antidotes for depression is to reach out to someone less fortunate than you. Helping them in their time of need has a way of taking our minds off our own problems… and when we return to them, they don’t seem as insurmountable.

“It shall not be this way among you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” Matthew 20:26-28 (BSB)

- Rev. Dale M. Glading, President