This is not for you to keep

Sometimes God has a lesson for me that is hard to miss.

Earlier this summer, Andy and I were at Kaufman Field for the Twins/Royals game. We were in a crowded section fifteen rows up from the first base line. To my left were some college-aged guys who consumed five beers in as many innings. Behind us were a line of Royals fans, including a father and his eight-year-old son.

At some point, I started entertaining the idea that it would be very fun to catch a foul ball and give it to the eight-year-old. I’m not sure why. But the desire was strong enough that I sent up a quick prayer asking the Lord to send a ball my way so that I could give it away. Then I pretty much forgot about it.

By the 7th inning, the beer-saturated guys to my left vacated their seats for some other activity. In the top of the inning, Carlos Gomez stepped up to the plate and hit a ball our way. The entire section stood up attempting to catch the ball. It hit some seats and probably some people and then rolled along the now vacant row of seats and to my feet.

It seemed like the boy didn’t know exactly what to say when I handed him the ball. The dad quickly shook my hand. Andy said that the boy didn’t let go of the ball for the rest of the game. At one point, I looked back and saw him trying to clap with ball in hand.

It’s just a ball. But baseballs from major league baseball games mean a lot to eight-year-olds. What fun it was to make his day. He now has a little object to remind him of the baseball game he went to with his dad. Did he go home and show it to his mother? Did he show it to his friends? Does he keep it in a drawer with important things, like where I kept the ball from a Denver Bears’ game when I was his age?

Giving away the ball gave me much satisfaction. Far more than if I had kept it.

Hence the lesson. Many times God gives things to us so that we can give them away.