Baseball thoughts

I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a baseball fan.  Like, at all.  This is much more to my tastes:

But I digress :)  (and I can't believe I just shared that picture - I look so sinister :P)  Anyway....back to baseball.  My dad got last-minute tickets to last night's game, so we made a night out of it :)

As previously stated, I am not a baseball fan, and as it turns out, I'm not the only one in my family....

But we still had a great time :)  

Today, Rachel was organizing lunch for a Homewood baseball clinic, and I decided to go with her.  We thought we were just going to drop off the food and leave right away, but we ended up staying for several hours and serving lunch.  The irony of the situation made me laugh for a minute.

On one hand, we find a perfectly-manicured field:

On the other, a dusty, scrubby, dandelion-infested, park:

On one hand, the players have jerseys that are attended with meticulous care:

On the other, the players are thrilled to receive a 'Fruit-Of-The-Loom' cotton T-shirt:

On one hand, hundreds of fans fill the seats, eager to see their home team win the game (although one might argue that they're often disappointed when the watch the good ol' Bucs ;D)

On the other, cracked cement bleachers seat a few parents who come to cheer on their children:

 But what I saw today opened my eyes even further to what is truly important in this life.    Last night, I saw grown men have what my mom would categorize as a 'meltdown'.  Why?  The umpire struck them out and a play was ended.  Today, I saw a little boy's eyes light up.  Why?  Because he realized that his lunch was free, and that we were doing it just because we loved him.  It wasn't a five-course meal - it was a hot dog, chips, and a cookie.  But when all the 'stuff' of life is stripped away, we are left with nothing but love, and if we can share that love with those around us, we can experience blessings in  a new and very special way.

I loved watching these kids - their shirts were too big, their hats fell down over their eyes, and they couldn't catch the ball even if it rolled right between their legs, but they were having a blast and enjoying an all-American tradition :)

As it turns out, the whole day did not go according to plan.  Rachel and I were supposed to just drop off the food, say 'Hi' to a few people, and then go do some real missions work.  But there had been some confusion and our plans got changed (as plans usually do).  Before I know it, I'm up to my elbows in relish, with kids surrounding me pleading for a hot dog.  

I was hot, my hair was a wreck, and if I had to ask one more person if they wanted a handful of chips I felt sure I'd scream.  'What on earth am I doing here?' was all I could think.  'I'm supposed to be doing something else that would really help people who need the Lord.'  Just then, a little girl looked up at me and said shyly, 'You are so nice!'  What?  Doesn't she know I'm not even supposed to be here?  Doesn't she know that I'm supposed to be helping someone else?  All at once, I saw things through completely different lenses.  To think that I am the one who showed Jesus to that little girl takes my breath away!  It might have been through a Ketchup bottle, but it all adds up to the same amount.  And I think, what better way to spend the day?  Sure, my feet ached, I stained my shirt, and hamburger meat got caked underneath my fingernails, but I 'did it to the least of these'. (Matthew 25:45)  In the end, that's all that really matters.

I could go on and on, but it's really late and my bed is calling me :)  Sometime I'll share the rest of my thoughts and pictures....for now, I'll leave you with a verse:

"Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal." (Matthew 6:19-20)

I don't know if this means I have a load of hamburgers and hot dogs waiting for me, but I do know that we only have a short time here on earth.  Live your life to the fullest - be 'intrepid' :D  That might mean being flexible enough to change your plans, or it might mean something completely different, but I urge you to let God work through you.  I was so blessed by my 'baseball weekend', and I look forward to many more :)

Bex <3

(I just have to share one more picture - this little girl was adorable :D)

(and thanks to Mr. Gaertner and Rachel - they contributed several of the above pictures)