When it comes to backyard pickup baseball games, I am wonderfully unfair, to borrow a phrase from my friend Aaron. He used the phrase when telling Jonah’s story today. “God’s mercy is wonderfully unfair.” I can hear a foul tip instead of a third strike from more than a hundred feet away. Depending on your age, just as long as you make it to first base, you’ll beat the throw and be safe. And if you ask me the score, the game will always be tied. I really do find incredible joy just in being outside and playing the game.
After worship, Marvalous walked me by her new car and then stood off to my left.
“It used to be my brother’s,” Debra (Day #238) said, carrying 15-month old Lincoln in her right arm who stood to my right, close to Verity. Marvalous and Verity and Lincoln are Debra’s kids and we talked about a family game of catch last week.
“So, uhm, don’t hit the baby,” Debra laughed.
I am pretty sure this is my first catch with someone while they’re holding a baby. Marvalous last played catch “in the fifth grade, I think.” Verity showed great skill with a small pink and black glove. And Debra caught the ball, then glove-flipped it to Verity to throw while keeping Lincoln safe. Harper joined in the game 100 feet away practicing high pop-ups in the gray clouds then ran away when I grabbed the camera.
I’m now two-thirds through this year of playing catch, of getting my hand on a baseball every day, of meeting new people and even introducing some friends to their first game of catch.
There’s been a glimpse of heaven every single day.
Congrats to the Royals with a weekend sweep over the Orioles and the current longest winning streak in the MLB!
