Thursday, April 6, 2017

April 6 – “The actual reason”

Last night was a late night for me.  Not Chris.  She went on to bed.  But I bravely stayed the course.  And why, you might ask?  What could possibly hold my attention long enough to keep me awake until after 11:30 p.m., a time when any self-respecting grandfather would be long asleep?  Well … I was making palm crosses for the Palm Sunday worship service.  Yes ... that was it.  Yesterday afternoon I cut down three branches from one of the nearby palms.  Then I methodically stripped and trimmed individual fronds so that we would have a hundred of them for the service opening.  Next I had to cut and trim individual strips to make another hundred.  Those, however, were specifically designated to use to make the palm crosses.  Hence my late night.  All about worship preparation.

OK, OK.  It didn’t hurt that the Astros just happened to be playing on TV.  Still.  See, we went to see Micah play first.  He just started in the majors division of Little League, and he was actually called upon to start the game pitching last night.  His team lost the game, but they did pretty well, over all.  Micah got on and even scored.  He has come a long way from when he used to hope for a walk or just close his eyes and take a mighty swing.  Gotta be a little proud of that, don’t I?  Way to go, Micah.  So after his game we came home listening to the Astros game on the radio.  Springer tied the game up with a two-run double, and it was extra innings for the first time this year (of course this is only the third game of the year).  The game went back and forth with neither side able to mount any sort of offense.  Chris gave up and headed to bed, thinking I would be following her very soon.  I picked up another palm frond and kept hard at my task, hard at work on the “actual reason” for my not joining her immediately. 

The game went into the tenth, then the eleventh, and then the twelfth innings.  I finished the palm crosses, but since I was awake anyway, and the game WAS still on right there in front of me, I settled in just a little bit … for the long haul.  It the top of the thirteenth the Astros brought in one of their youngster pitchers.  He proceeded to walk three batters in a row.  So much for his 2017 debut.  Next came another young guy, but this one at least had more major league experience.  He walked in a run.  But to his credit, he then got the next three batters.  So Houston came to bat for their last chance.  And on the mound for the Mariners?  The last pitcher left in their bullpen.  A young Double A player who was only in the stadium to hold a spot because another guy was on paternity leave, due back in the morning.  This would be his major league debut.  Not just for this year.  For any year.  Talk about pressure on a young guy.  He got two outs.  But in the meantime Gattis ended up on second and Aoki on first.  Springer was the batter.  Three balls.  Two strikes.  Two outs.  Game on the line for the young pitcher.  Would he get his first big league save?  And there’s the pitch … and Springer crushes it.  A three run walk-off home run.  He screamed and danced his way around the bases.  I love this game where grown men can act like little kids, and it’s OK.  Reminds me of something, somewhere about becoming like little children …

Matthew 18:2-4 says, “He called a little child and had him stand among them.  And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”


Father, help us remember that you love little children and you want us to learn from them the way to come to you the way they do.  Amen.

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