October 30 – “Jedi Warriors”

 

 

We expected going to a baseball game when it was 46 degrees outside to be quite an uncomfortable experience.  Zakary's game started at nine o'clock in the morning, so there was no way to get out of whatever weather experience awaited us.  Chris and Christi packed blankets to wrap up in.  Josh and I just layered up like we used to do in Colorado.  This was San Antonio.  How bad could it be?

 

As it turned out, Josh and I had the right idea.  As the morning progressed and the sun began doing its job, it became a beautiful, cool day.  I never did see the blankets.  I took off one of my layers, and Josh was in a t-shirt and sweat pants before the second inning.  Of course the kids were great fun to watch.  In this YMCA league everyone on the team bats every inning, so games don't last more than two or three innings.  And I think the time limit is an hour. 

 

Stop two was a Fall Festival that their church was putting on for the kids.  They had two bouncy houses and games set up in some of the different rooms.  One big courtyard area had face painting, pecan painting (not sure what the purpose or the appeal was to that one), picture drawing, and some other options that I couldn't even figure out.  For lunch they had free frito pie (like we used to have at our Little League games: cut open a bag of fritos and pour in some chili and cheese).  An area outside included popcorn and sno-cones and lemonade.

 

Costumers were the order of the day.  I thought about Brennan's cow outfit when I saw a tiny little elephant.  The one that took the cake, though, was a baby dressed as a banana.  Yep.  A banana.  Enough said. 

 

Caleb was dressed up in his "Oda" (Yoda) costume, and Zak was famed Jedi warrior, Obi-wan Kenobi.  One of Zak's friends had chosen an identical costume, but had picked a slightly different moniker – Noah-wan Kenobi.  They each had a light saber, though obviously modeled by different Jedi masters.  My favorite part of the morning came when another older and taller boy came in dressed as Darth Vader.  The two young Jedi knights came to attention immediately.  They grabbed their weapons and attacked in tandem.  I thought Vader was handling himself admirably, but some parents saw fit to separate the combatants.  The battle was not over yet, however.  Everywhere the young Vader went, he was tracked by the two Jedis, side by side, always five or ten strides behind him.  They never again engaged him, but he was also never out of their sight.  Ah, for days when Jedis protected the galaxy. 

 

Proverbs 30:7-9 says, "Two things I ask of you, O Lord; do not refuse me before I die: Keep falsehood and lies far from me; give me neither poverty nor riches, but give me only my daily bread.  Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you and say, 'Who is the Lord?'  Or I may become poor and steal, and so dishonor the name of my God."

 

Father, thank you for the unseen times of protection you have granted us.  Amen.