April 8 – “Triathalon Sunday”

Once again it was time for Triathalon Sunday in Galveston.  Some 3,000 entrants swam and biked and raced around Moody Gardens and then out past San Luis Pass and back. 

We got word even before church started that one of the bikers had been hit by a car and was being transported to the hospital.  We prayed for him and the car driver. 

Lots of our Seaside folks just didn’t want to leave after church.  They were talking and laughing and enjoying each other’s company.  We had a really good worship and teaching time, and it’s always hard to want to head back into the “real world.”  When they did leave, many of them went to lunch together.  Gotta love a family.

And then the storm blew in after church.  Pretty severe weather.  Remember those triathletes?  Now ordinarily a little rain will not stop one of these events, and actually the professional triathletes were long finished before the weather came.  But there were quite a few cyclists still on the road.  A multitude were in the middle of running the half-marathon.  They all kept on plugging until a sad note came.  They received word to seek shelter first, then to abandon the race altogether.  We were hit with wind gusts up to 60+ miles an hour, along with lightning and hard blowing rains.  Safety first. 

That storm blew over our swing out back as well as our table upstairs on the deck.  No real damage, though.  The new fence and side porch and decorative slate walkway adjunct all came through with flying colors.  I guess our construction skills proved worthy. 

We stayed inside during and after the storm.  The Astros came through in the bottom of the ninth to win their white-knuckle game.  Then the Baylor Lady Bears barely hung on to win by just a point after their star player went down with a knee injury.  Real nail-biting action in that one.  Tonight we see if Texas Tech can finish out their Cinderella run in the men’s NCAA tournament.  Ah, March Madness.  Gotta love it.

Matthew 18:3-5 says, “And he said, ‘Truly I tell you. Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.’”

Father, please watch over that cyclist who was hit yesterday.  Help the docs know exactly what to do for him.  Amen.