Baseball Game

Bo and I attended the Washington Nationals Baseball game against the Arizona Diamondbacks last night. What a delight it was!! God orchestrated a night off from much stress that has been occuring in our lives. Truly He set this up. We were given the tickets (shared seating with an older couple friend of ours) and they were between third base and home, at field level, though several rows up ~ fabulous seats. When I called around for a sitter, all of the high school graduates and college students I use were otherwise engaged ~ then a friend volunteered to keep my children overnight at her house for a fun evening of swimming, fishing, bonfire, etc. Not only did she volunteer to have them come, but to feed them and spend the night to boot ~ all five ~ what a blessing. I was so thankful.

Fast forward to yesterday. We ended up with an extra child for a few days (so six to go to my friend's house), and Michelle, my ten year old ended up with a massive ear infection (both middle ear and outer ear). Probably came from too much swimming at the meet without wearing her cap, as well as each morning during practice, following a trip jet skiing at the lake on Sunday. She did not sleep at all on Wednesday night (she and I did not sleep...). So, we also took her to the doctor and got external antibiotic drops and internal antibiotic. Needless to say I didn't want to leave her overnight at a friends in this fragile state. So, I called my girlfriend and asked her if I could pick the kids up after the game while relayed the new information. She volunteered to bring her son to our house and just watch them here. Isn't she amazing?! Isn't God a blessing. I then told her how grateful I was that she was willing to do that and I would pull together some food stuff for them before she came and she refused and told me she would bring what she had planned and cook it at my house. I was touched with tears of gratitude at that moment. God is so good to me.

So, we get to the game ~ for the past two years I have been trying to learn more about baseball since I have always found the game ~ well...boring...I know that is awful since it is the great American pastime, but I have loved soccer, basketball, football and have just not cared a bit about baseball. Bo loves baseball and played in highschool, college, the military and his union, so he knows it inside and out. We have started watching the World Series together the past couple of years, and I have to admit that I have gotten a bit more interested as I have watched more. However, I was really going to the game to support him and enjoy his delight more than anything.

I was praying on the way there that God would give me a deeper understanding and joy of the game so I could share in it with him more. Wow, did He come through. We had a terrific game!
Not only that, but it was an exciting one, too. Bottom of the ninth, two to zero in their favor, bases loaded and full count ~ someone hit a double. We went into the tenth inning. The other team pulled three quick runs (can you say ARGH), I thought ~ surely this is over now...we ended up with three runs as well (wouldn't it have been nice to have four??!). It appeared we were going to get the fourth run ~ we had a runner on third and one out. I figured it was a shoe in because even on a pop-fly the runner on third would score. Right?! Then I learned how much baseball has strategy that I never recognized. The next few plays defensively were amazing.
I was really excited watching and cheering. We ended up losing in the eleventh inning, but enjoying a really exciting game (and getting home really late).

The other team's pitcher was phenomenal. He pretty much stayed straight at pitching 93mph balls from the first to the ninth inning. He was tired in the ninth (can you say - of course?!), and not doing as well, but at the top of the ninth start, he had pitched 105 balls, 79 of which were strikes. What a great ratio! He was also interesting to watch. He would start his pitch, then stop completely, only to re-start but throw with his entire body as if he had never stopped. It was a very interesting talent to see him stop mid-pitch and be able to gather the full body momentum, not just arm strength, after losing part of the wind up.

Other neat events: I learned what the numbers on the plays/players mean now, and I was even able to call correctly a 6-4-3 double play (how's that for learning?!) :-). We had many foul balls in our region (three surrounding us), with Bo actually getting his hands/chest on one (it dropped to the ground and bounced up into his chest then the guy in front of him grabbed it) ~ he had so much fun touching it and laughing with the guy who got it. Also, we delighted in spending time with friends whom we hadn't seen in quite awhile, whose husband loves baseball as much as Bo and whose wife is equally unsure about the game (actually more so as she grew up in Mauritus which is a French colony off Africa so she did not know the game at all prior to moving here in 2000). Thank you, LORD, for a wonderful time away with just the two of us. Thank YOU for the gift of friends who are like family, fellowship, and respite ~

Hoping each of you are having a terrific summer and enjoying your families and summer events as much as we are! May God continue to shine His face upon you and bring you peace.