Our five-year-old grandson, Ethan, has just started his new t-ball season. Those tiny guys are so cute out on the field in their uniforms, little legs pumping like pistons as they run around the bases. They’re just learning, so adults stay on the field with them, sometimes literally guiding them into position. Some nights the action on the field is hysterical as the team members work to learn these new skills.
Spring has had a mind of its own here in the mountains of North Carolina this year, with temperatures one day of 78 degrees, and temps the next night of 29. So when we arrived for Ethan’s game last week, it was cold. I mean, wind whipping around you, dampness-seeping-into-your-bones cold.
I couldn’t help but laugh as I looked at Ethan’s fan club gathered in camp chairs alongside the field. We were a sight to behold. At the end of our long row of his supporters, my daughter-in-law and her parents were huddled in blankets. Ethan’s siblings played beside our chairs, dressed in coats, gloves and knit hats. His uncle and cousins were there, and our son’s boss even came by for a while to cheer Ethan on. And despite our warm coats and gloves, my husband and I shivered as we huddled under our blankets.
As I looked at our group of 13 people gathered there on that chilly night, I realized that it was a picture of love, and I’m so grateful that all of my grandchildren are growing up like this, because that is truly a gift from God.
And it’s a wonderful reminder of the importance of community. Whether it’s for a family member, friends, work, school, or church, each of us needs to know that we’re loved, that we are special to someone, and that people are willing to give of their time just for us.
Sure it sometimes takes some effort to make those moments happen, but it’s so worth it, and it also gives us an opportunity to share God’s love with others.
Who could you encourage today? Become someone’s fan club and give them the gift of knowing that they are loved.
