How often do we get to experience something really profound? How often to we get a new revelation into life and what it means and how special it is? I think most people would say that those times are few and far between, but I’m realizing now that they happen all the time. The problem is that we’re usually too busy to see them and appreciate them. It’s a shame that we let life get in the way of really seeing what life is all about. The way to ask the question isn’t “How often do we get to experience … ?” but rather “How often do we miss all of those meaningful moments because of our short sighted and selfish lifestyle?”
Mema was in town a few weeks ago. She stayed with my parents for a week or so. I had the chance to talk to her a few times and get to know her a little better. I’m convinced that my love for sports must come from her because nobody else in my ancestry has it. She also has musical talent and a love for God, which has also played in part in who I am. When I was saying goodbye, she gave me a huge hug and whispered in my ear that she loved me. At that moment I felt an incredible feeling of love for her. Here was a woman who has been through some tough times, and she was hugging me tightly and telling me what was really important in her life. I told her I loved her and hugged her back with all of the emotion I could muster. I almost missed that powerful, poignant moment. I am so glad that I didn’t.
We just got back from Cedar Point Amusement Park and Jaron showed me something about his character that really made me proud. There is this one children’s area where kids can throw rubber baseballs at metal cutouts of Charlie Brown characters in full baseball gear. There’s Linus with his catcher’s gear, Charlie Brown looking miserable, etc. The way it works is that the kids throw the balls and if the hit a glove you hear the sound of a crowd cheering or some music. The ball then rolls down a gentle slope back toward the kids where they can reach in and grab them to throw again. Imagine a group of 5 to 10 year olds fighting for the returning balls, and one particularly obnoxious kid screaming that the balls were his and grabbing as many as he could hold and ripping them out of other kids’ hands, all while the parents tried futilely to control him. In the midst of this Jaron reached down and happened to grab 2 of the returning balls as another boy about his age was reaching in for one. I was standing about 15 feet away. I watched as Jaron grabbed the 2 balls and looked up at the other kid who had come up empty handed. Then, after the slightest moment of thought, he handed one of his baseballs to the other boy, who politely said “Thanks.” The next time Jaron went to get a ball, another girl grabbed two before he could get one. Jaron asked, “Can I have one?” Then the girl, after a slight hesitation, handed one over and Jaron said “Thanks.” Wow! What an incredible example of mutual respect, friendship, and peace. It is so much better to share, take turns, and be polite, rather than fight and squabble over everything. It is more moral and more efficient. Quite simply, it is how we should all live our lives. It may not seem like a big deal, but it exemplifies the Christian principles of peace and non-aggression that would make any libertarian proud. It made me realize that Jaron is truly different from other kids. It made me proud. And it made me realize that I’m not doing a bad job in rearing him up the right way. Now if only George Bush would’ve learned to share his baseballs as a kid, maybe things would’ve turned out differently for the world.
We’re constantly surrounded by moments like this. Meaningful moments that show us something new about ourselves, whether good or bad. Moments that cause our eyes to be opened in revelation about the things in life that really matter. Let’s not miss these moments. They will help to shape us all into the type of people we need be.