Bottom of the Ninth #24 - Base Paths

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.   Proverbs 3:5-6

The paths between the bases in baseball are exactly 90 feet from base to base and straight as a foul pole. This is all very uncomplicated if you are moving from just one base to the next. However, in the case of taking multiple bases, base runners are taught to round the base and arc as they move on to the subsequent bases. A far cry from making straight their path! Of course a base runner is trying to maximize their momentum and minimize the sharp turn that would be required to follow the straight path between bases.

Momentum is funny like that, it often takes us off our chosen course. Sometimes that is not a bad thing. Although, maintaining momentum requires a great deal of energy and keen reaction to circumstances that we encounter. It also creates a longer distance that must be traveled with the possibility of not arriving safely at the next goal. Life does that to us – our momentum may cause us to take chances and travel a more circuitous route without guarantee of being safe when we arrive at the next base.

As in baseball, life sometimes requires us to stop at a safe place and re-assess the situation. It is after these interim bases or milestones that the path before us is straight again. When we regroup and take another run at things, God has made straight our path, and our running start eases us back into the fray.

Lord, thank you for giving us paths to walk and run, and for being our momentum along the way. When life brings us to new starts, thank you for providing a straight path upon which we can re-start our journey.