November 12 – “Another championship”

Our day started kind of early.  We made a trip into Texas, so we put together our Texas list before we left the Island.  First stop was one of the Seasider Dickinson homes affected by Hurricane Harvey.  We have been walking with Amber through the rebuilding process, and we had a gift card to give her to help out with some of the materials purchases she still has to deal with.  They are just about finished with sheetrocking and once the texturing and painting there is done, they can move onto flooring.  That’s moving pretty fast in the grand scheme of things.  We also made a swing by the Boyer’s house to check on them, but no one was at home.

Next on the list … we headed to Lifeway Christian Store to pick up an order of New Testaments.  These are destined for the give-away bags at the upcoming Bethlehem Street Market on December 9^th.  Every shopper will receive a nice cloth bag with the New Testament and a few other things inside.  Then they can fill it up with all their purchases.  Mark your calendars.

After a fly-through stop at McDonald’s (Yes, McDonald’s.  It was the only place near us where we could grab something fast and get on the road.  Chris ordered a Big Mac without the special sauce.  I had to remove the extraneous hunk of bread they stick in the middle.  I tried the quarter pounder with cheese, cut the mustard, add mayo.  Never have had one before.  I think I have found a go-to option in the event we are forced to rely on a McDonald’s excursion in the future), we made our way back south a little bit to Jachin’s baseball game.  It was his end-of-the-season tournament.  As it turned out they won their first game, so we were going to arrive just in time for the championship game. 

As we walked up we were greeted with running hugs from Josiah and Noa.  Well, Chris was the hug recipient.  I got the left-overs.  But I had my moment to shine just short moments away.  Ezra was in his stroller, so I approached him.  I leaned down and grinned at him and gave him a little tickle under his chin.  He made eye contact with me and quite clearly said, “DadDad.”  Of course.  And from that point on, every time he saw me he named me again.  It kind of felt like a hippopotamus in the Garden of Eden with Adam trying repetition to remember what it was he called that strange creature.  This old boy didn’t mind, though.  Bring it on. 

So back to the game.  Jachin’s team entered the top of the last inning ahead by five runs.  And the other team launched a surging comeback.  They scored five runs to tie the score.  Jachin was finally called on to stem the tide, and he finally induced a weak chopper back to the mound to retire the side.  They came to the plate needing just one run, but this was a pony league team, and not the home run happy Astros.  The first batter worked a walk, then stole second and third, sandwiched between a few foul balls.  Then came a passed ball.  The runner made a dash for the plate.  The pitcher was covering.  The catcher made the throw … and the pitcher couldn’t handle the toss.  The run scored.  Jachin’s team wins the championship.  And by virtue of a timely relief appearance, guess who is recorded as the winning pitcher?  Yep.  That would be Jachin.  That’s my grandson out there. 

Revelation 1:8 says, “’I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’”

Father, thank you for a great day of sunshine and baseball.  And for all of those 10-month-old “DadDad’s.”  Amen.