January 5 – “Hypnoeyes”

We finally arrived at Josh and Christi’s a little after eight.  Then Brittany, a friend they know from Arlington who often babysits the boys, came by for a visit not long after we arrived.  As a result it was a very late night for the little ones.  And by “little ones” I mean me.  Zak and Caleb and Luke did just fine.  It was probably around midnight before we actually got to bed. 

It was great fun to watch the interaction between the boys and their Dad.  Once, Caleb approached Josh slowly, with eyes wide, both arms raised in front of him, hands swaying back and forth, fingers slowly moving in tiny circles of their own.  When he had Josh’s complete attention, he solemnly announced, “I’m gonna hypnoeyes you.”  And with that he had his Dad under his spell.

I met neighbor Mike from across the street while watching the boys shoot baskets and ride bikes in the 20 degree weather.  I was wearing a hoodie, and in response to his calling out the boys’ names, I turned to face him.  He stopped in his tracks and back-pedaled a bit.  “Oh, you’re not Josh,” he stammered.  Then quickly collecting himself and flashing a huge smile, he stroked his bushy gray beard and added, “You have a bit more about you.”  Perfect introduction, I thought.  Always great to meet a kindred spirit in the facial hair category, especially when he thinks so highly of one of my boys. 

Josh joined us shortly after that and he and Zakary decided to do some roller blading.  Zak got his first pair for Christmas, and Josh was teaching him some of the finer points of basic skating (in the absence of Uncle Nathan, who no doubt would have regaled him with tales of jumps and spins and roller blading off the roof).  Zak was appropriately cushioned with pads over the vulnerable joints of his body – knees, elbows, wrists – and he dutifully wore a helmet.  Nani would have been proud of his attention to safety details.  And Josh?  Well, I’ll just say Nani wouldn’t have been quite so proud.  On one of Zak’s solo excursions he met with the inevitable fate of all beginning skaters, he plopped to the ground on his rear end.  To his great credit, he bounced right back up.  Well, right after his classic comment, “Do they make bottom pads?”

Josh received one of those sad pastor notifications when he was informed that a lady on staff at the church had died suddenly at her home.  She had been head of the food services division at the church for many years, and a long-time member of the church and choir.  We met her one of the times we had been here.  Very sweet lady and she had an even sweeter Mom who worked with her.  As a result our topic of discussion over Mexican food at lunch was funerals from the pastor’s perspective.  I emailed him a copy of the last funeral I did to help him draw together some ideas on order of service and the like.  And after a lunch like that?  A nap, of course.

We ended the day at a Baylor basketball game.  We literally had our choice of seats.  Josh had been given two at courtside and four in another area just above courtside.  We all ended up sitting together in the raised area.  Much better view anyway.  There were not many fans there.  Christmas break was still going on.  After watching that game, I am not at all sure how they are ranked number nine in the nation.  Or how they beat Kentucky for that matter (except Kentucky obviously has lots of problems this year).  Or how they are 12 and 1.  Maybe it was just that it was their first game back after the holidays.  They sure played sluggish.  Oh, they won handily enough, but then, Savannah State is not exactly a basketball powerhouse.  Caleb sure loved the attention, though.  We were there as part of his fifth birthday celebration, after all.

It made for another late night, though.  Christi still had a lot of preparing to do for the big Caleb Birthday Bash the next day.  It was to be basketball themed, so the venue was perfect - the church’s basketball court.  But Christi never does anything half-way.  There were decorations to be sorted, goodie bags to be filled, trail mix to mix.  We even put our heads together to make up some games for the kids to play.  Should be fun.

1 Corinthians 15:54-55 says, “When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.  Where, O death, is your victory?  Where, O death, is your sting?’”

Father, walk with Naomi’s family as they struggle to come to terms with her sudden death.  Surround them with your love as she experiences the love and compassion of the church.  Amen.