At the Old Ball Game...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 at 10:37PM I will be the first to admit that our children have had some pretty amazing experiences in their lives. They have done things that most kids don't get to do.
Michaela has been to Mexico. Granted, she was five months old and doesn't remember much about that trip.
All three of them have been to Lake Tahoe. Michaela and Christian have skiied there, as well as ice skated and sledded.
Michaela and Christian have also been to Massanutten in Virginia, and skiied and snow-tubed there.
Those two have been to New York, at Christmas even!
They have vacationed for weeks at a time at the beach.
They have spent time again and again in Williamsburg and been to the wonderful historical sites there and nearby.
All three got to visit our nation's capital, as well as some of the Smithsonian museums.
They have been to professional sporting events; they have cheered on the Orlando Magic as well as the Texas Rangers.
All of these things would count as very out-of-the-ordinary, to me. I didn't grow up with these kinds of experiences...and that's okay with me. It would be okay with me if my kids didn't have these experiences either. It's easy to worry that because they live this charmed life, doing amazing things all over the country, and even living in an out-of-the-ordinary neighborhood that they will become young adults who feel entitled to a life of leisure. It will be our job as parents to help them navigate the worldy waters they swim through over these growing-up years. The truth is that they have very generous grandparents who can offer them (and us) a lot of fun. Fun times and fun stuff. They also have a dad who happens to have a job in an area where we are afforded the opportunity to do some cool things.
But what is in their hearts is what matters the most. I'm glad their memory banks will be filled to the brim with all of the wonderful things that they have gotten to do, and will get to do as they get older. But what makes me even more glad is when they show that they understand there is more to life than the unusual and exciting adventures they are able to have.
Last night Mike had the chance to take them to another Rangers' game. This time he was given the tickets; they were good tickets too...the kind where you are able to put your feet on the dugout. That is great enough, but it got even better!
(This was relayed to me...I didn't get to witness it first-hand.)
At one point during the game, after catching a strike-out pitch, the catcher rolled the ball up to the crowd (on top of the dugout), right where Christian and Michaela were sitting. Christian ended up with that ball, and was as happy as a kangaroo on a trampoline.
At the end of the game, which they won, the pitcher was with the rest of the team, high-fiving everybody and celebrating the victory; he also rolled a ball up to the crowd, which Christian missed, but the guy next to him picked up. He handed the ball to Michaela and told her,"Now you each have one!"
During the game the kids had talked with a little boy who had just turned six; it was pretty obvious that he would have loved to get a ball. Mike could tell that Michaela was thinking of giving her ball away and asked if she would like to; he told our kids they could share the ball that Christian had. She gladly gave her ball to the little boy, which made his day. He still thought it was his birthday - what a great gift!
At this point many people were starting to leave, but folks who had seats higher up were coming down to get a glimpse of the team and to try to get a ball. A security guard who patrolled that particular area, down where the players were, came along and stood in front of where Christian and Michaela were and pointed at them. He sent a ball up to Michaela, and then he said,"This one is for the boy in the blue shirt!" He rolled a ball right up to Christian. For some reason, he singled each of them out and made sure that they ended up with a ball (even though Christian still had his from before).
Now they had three balls and had given one away. Mike saw a young guy next to Christian looking wistful...what pre-teen boy doesn't want a baseball from the dugout?! He pointed the boy out to Christian, and wondered if he might like one of the balls. Christian immediately said to the boy,"Here you go!" The young man was surprised and delighted, and asked,"Are you sure?" as did the boy's dad. They were assured it was fine. Our kids still ended up with two balls!
Mike told me the story once they were in bed. It warmed my heart. Because of someone else's generosity to our family, my kids got to have an extraordinary experience with their favorite ball team. But they also got to show generosity to others. They were given a gift, and this gift they shared with another. And almost as if in response they were given more!
When I think of what happened at the game, it paints such a picture of grace. We are given an extraordinary gift; what a beautiful thing when we share it with others, as it was so abundantly shared with us. I have a lot to learn about grace...and here are my children teaching me a lesson in it. I hope I will be a good student!
Reader Comments (4)
How sweet. Thanks for sharing!
That story makes my heart happy for so many reasons!
Oh, that was very sweet. You must be so proud of your boy! :)
thanks for stopping by my blog. i've been whining about my lack of comments, so it was nice to make a new bloggy friend. i told mindee that since my old blog friends seem to have ditched me, i'm going to have to mooch off hers!
this is a very touching story about god's grace. i love that with our kids we can, if we are willing, be both teacher and student!