Second Sunday of Lent, March 13, 2022 (today’s lectionary)
Ballgames in Springfield
Look up at the sky and count the stars, if you can. Just so shall your descendants be.
TheGym-IL.com has been a Springfield fixture for more than twenty years. Jack played basketball there, now Aly is playing. A picture of Michael Jordan and the owner is on the wall.
Aly’s team from Springfield Christian School is playing a tournament this weekend with three other fourth grade teams from Mt. Pulaski, Williamsville and another Illinois town. These fourth graders are wiry and fast and intense. Aly is the smallest player. Like the Illini’s Trent Frasier, she wears #1 and is the best defender on the team. Her teammate Victoria is a foot taller and towers over everyone. Aly and her good friend Ellie are the starting guards. We sat beside Ellie’s grandma and we all cheered together.
Aly’s mom, Melissa, was a star player at Urbana High School. Melissa coached the team for two months while the head coach was away caring for his dying mother in Florida. Now John the coach is back and Melissa is the team’s bench coach.
Ten players play equal minutes nearly every game. John wants to develop the skills of all his players. Aly’s intensity and speed make a difference every time she comes in. As Chris said, “These games are much more fun to watch than they were three years ago.” The team has obviously practiced their passing. And defense is stifling: Margaret calls it monkey defense, because arms are everywhere and you can’t see through them. Aly is usually right in the middle. The refs called jump balls time after time.
Not much scoring, but Aly’s team won both games with scores of 20-6 and 17-10. They have one more game tomorrow in their round robin tournament. Against the toughest team. They can’t wait.
The Lord is my light and salvation; whom should I fear? The Lord is my life’s refuge; of whom should I be afraid? Of you my heart speaks, and my eyes seek you always.
During the first game the ref stopped the game a few times to do some teaching. During time outs he swiped the stuffed animals from a kid he knew in the audience, ran out onto the court with them, and the little guy raced after him to swipe them back. We all loved that ref, who had taken on at least two other roles during the game.
Chris was right: it was a lot more fun to watch Aly play now than it was three years ago. For one thing the girls can heave the ball up to the basket now and make some shots. Their aren’t many free throws, but they make some of them. Mostly though, it’s their intense arms up, hands in face, monkey defense that enthralls us all.
Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we also await a savior, Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly bodies to conform with his glorified body.
At home we watched big boy basketball, watched the Bulls win and the Raiders lose. Melissa and Chris made supper for three kids and the four adults, and we played a name guessing game. Ronald Reagan, Chewbacca, Jesus and Satan made appearances. Somebody remembered we are losing an hour today, and everyone brushed their teeth and went to bed. The whole thing just felt wholesome. Not a word I use every day.
Therefore my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for, stand firm in the Lord, beloved.
(Genesis 15, Psalm 27, Philippians 3, Matthew 17, Luke 9)
(posted at www.davesandel.net)
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