August 27 - “Friday night football in Texas”

Friday night football in Texas. It’s amazing what people in Texas will do to root on their favorite high school team. Take … well, us, for example. We drove from Galveston to Waco - four and a half hours - and then on to Cleburne - another hour - to watch a football game. Of course this was Grandson Zak’s first “real” league game of the year - and of his career. Pretty big deal, wouldn’t you say? 

 

We hit the road around 9:30. Made it to Buc-ees right on schedule.  As we got very near to Waco we passed a ranch with strange critters running around. I saw emus and deer for sure. They also had the shaggiest cows I have ever seen. Or maybe it was just really tall, skinny sheep. Oh, wait. Llamas. Chris said they were probably llamas, although she didn’t actually see them, what with concentrating on the road and all. Wildlife. Score.

 

We arrived just in time to leave for the game. It started at 5 an hour away, and Zak had to be there at 3:30. So we pulled up at their house at 1:57, ran in for a bathroom break, and piled back in the car for a hasty exit.

 

Zak was there in plenty of time, and we had time to go to Sonic for a cherry limeade slush. Finally it was … game time. Small-school six-man football. My first time to watch such a game. It is nothing like high school football was when I was growing up, but it was sure exciting. Zak played a great game. He played defensive back - sort of a mix between safety, cornerback, and linebacker. He was all over the field, and he even took out the ref at one point. Actually he got blocked into the poor guy. At halftime the score was already 30-24 good guys. The refs were … interesting.  They got confused a time or two. How?  Well, they had a penchant for walking off penalties against the wrong team.  Ultimately the good guys won the game 49-39. Zak caught a pass on the last play of the game to help run the clock out. Great start to the season, guys!

 

Now that’s the scoop on the game itself. But I have to mention that those of us in the stands were nothing short of miserable. It was good ol’ TEXAS HOT. 94 degrees at game time. Exacerbated by the complete and total absence of shade and the fact that the stands were made of aluminum. Yep. Hot to touch. We had umbrellas, and there was an occasional breeze, but I guess I’m just getting too old to put up with it. I spent a good part of the second half in the shade behind the end zone where I could still see the game action, listening to a little boy play the ukulele and sing.

 

Mark 8:35 says, “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me and for the gospel will save it.”

 

Father, thank you for protecting those boys having to play in full pads in that treacherous heat. Amen.