Saturday Afternoon Baseball

We were visiting with family this past weekend, which is always a good thing to do. This particular visit was especially meaningful, as we had the entire family gathered together under one roof. That just doesn’t happen all too often.

On a glorious late Summer afternoon, that more closely resembled Fall, something wonderful happened. The next generation wanted to get out and enjoy the sunshine and cool breezes. And, lo and behold, they convinced us old timers to actually get up off the couch, tearing ourselves away from college football, and come out and play.

In the cul-de-sac in front of the house, the kids set up a makeshift baseball field. Well, it was derived from the very same dimensions used by the boys who grew up in that house, having played cul-de-sac baseball for years there. Soon, shouts of pure joy were heard throughout the “field”, as each person stepped up to the plate to take their knocks. There weren’t any real teams, but did it matter? Heck no. We all just fielded as each person stepped to the plate for their turn at bat.

Everyone involved had a big old ear-to-ear grin on their faces. It was just magic.

It struck me, admittedly not at that moment but later, that the game really represented all there is to life. There was family, which however you personally define that for you is incredibly important, as it gives you a foundation upon which to grow. There was simple joy. There were no video games, no incredible special effects such as those found in a movie, no high-tech anything. Just a ball, a bat, and a few folks forgetting about all those other “important” matters in life.

And, rest assured, there was God. Think for a minute that He wasn’t enjoying all of this? He was right there with us, enjoying every hit, every swing, every mighty cut at the ball, and every bit of love that was being displayed during this incredibly special moment in time. He loved it every bit as much as the rest of us.

You see, for a minute or two, we in that cul-de-sac really “got” it. By “it”, I mean life. We dropped all our seemingly important worries and concerns, and just dived in and had fun. Oh sure, there were a few bruises and bumps….kids fall down you know…but nothing we couldn’t handle as long as we were all supporting one another. Nothing we couldn’t handle as long as we recognized that love is the only thing that really matters.

That all God wants from us, I think. To love His people, and by so doing, love and honor Him. That’s the entire message of Christianity, in a nutshell.

No church on Earth could’ve shown that any better than a makeshift baseball diamond on a glorious late Summer day.

-The Minister