Yesterday, we had t-ball practice. It was hot, the kids were tired, and hardly anybody really wanted to be running around in the heat playing tball. Even though Nathan has made significant progress in his skills, yesterday was not a great day for him at practice.
Before I continue, you have to understand that I always bribe reward him with a Slurpee after t-ball practice if he’s a good boy.
Unfortunately, yesterday, he was in rare form, hitting other people and generally disobeying. He wasn’t horrible, but he wasn’t obeying with all of his heart and soul and mind, either.
So, we got into the car after practice, and I asked him if he thought he deserved a Slurpee. I asked what he had done during practice, and then I asked him to tell me if he thought he should get a Slurpee or not. He said he didn’t deserve one but he really wanted one. I agreed with him that he didn’t deserve it.
I stopped at the 7-eleven anyway. As we were getting out of the car, I told Nathan he didn’t deserve a Slurpee, and he busted out in tears, saying, “But I really want one.” He thought he wasn’t going to get one. I told him that sometimes we get stuff we don’t deserve.
I resisted teaching him more about the concept of grace, because I’m not sure how much he really understand, but it’s exactly that kind of love that the Father has for us. He gives us things we don’t deserve all the time. It’s His grace that is amazing. It is His love for us despite our lack of love for Him that makes Him a great God.
I hope that Nathan learned something from our little trip to 7-Eleven, and I hope he will understand more about our gracious God in the future.
Last night we played a make-up game of t-ball because the first game of the season was rained out. There were only a few kids there, so we played four on three. Nathan loved it, and he did so good, too. It was like t-ball finally clicked for him.
Today was a normal game, and he did great in the field, too. He chased down the ball and threw it to first base. He’s doing really well.
I wanted to make sure we had some fun on 4th of July this year, so I went to the fireworks store (yes, there is an actual store) and bought some sparklers.
It took Nathan some time to get the idea that it wouldn’t burn him, and after a while, he wanted to hold one, too. So, we took some video of us playing with the sparklers.
The weekend started with the first t-ball game and team pictures. It was the longest morning of my life. We waited for pictures for 45 minutes, and by the time the game started, Nathan had lost most interest in playing. He did well though (see the second video).
Sunday, we went to our church in Palm Harbor, and then we went to the beach to fly our new kite (see the first video). It was a fun family weekend.
As a Dad, there are lots of things that Nathan does that I hope to remember forever. Then there are some things that I know I’ll never forget. One of those things happened last Saturday morning, and it was better than any Father’s Day gift I could have gotten.
Friday night, I flew to Miami after 12 days out of the country. Saturday morning, I arrived just in time for the beginning of Nathan’s first t-ball practice. I walked up to the field from the car, and our eyes met. He came running around the corner and across the bridge that leads to the field. When he got to me, I could see him holding back tears. He was so happy to see me, and it felt so good to hug my little boy.
I’ll never forget his little face in that moment. I hope that he’s always that happy to see me after I’ve been away for awhile. Regardless of how great the trip is, the best part about going on any trip is coming home and seeing my family again.
We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
