I remember being 12 years old … in the summer … in Vermont. Almost every day, the kids would gather at the Barre Auditorium ball fields for some baseball pickup. We would ‘grip-up’ the bat to see who would get first choice in picking the teams. On an average day - we’d have:
One broken bat – with a screw holding it together and some black electrical tape
stretched around the gripping area.
A ball – with missing the leather and seams seasoned away and repaired with the same black electrical tape.
Some gloves – shared by kids who had with those kids who did not.
Home plate, pitchers mound and bases – all “heel-marked’ in the dirt.
Disagreements – with yelling, screaming and fighting.
It was so great!!!
55 years later, my wife Pat and I play water volleyball… almost everyday!!! While the equipment is top notch, the disagreements for us competitive Seniors are similar to when I was 12. “Out of bounds”? “Lift”? “Carry”? The “Score” ????????????? Oy!
One guy often says, “What we need in this pool is some adult supervision.!”
Our only saving grace for our supposed gained wisdom is what we call a “do-over.” This happens, when after 30 to 60 seconds of eye rolling, power playing, water splashing, whispered comments, and childish expletiving (that’s not a real word), etc. … someone yells. “Do over!” That means that the play from the last serve is forgotten. The current score remains, no one is penalized and the person starts a new serve.
I like “Do-overs”.
I like them in water volleyball and I like them regarding God’s grace.
I think God made the days and the nights for me so that, every 24 hours, I could have a new beginning. A “do-over’. That means that play from the last day is forgotten. I am not penalized and I can start a new serve.
Romans 8:38-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,
neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
I wake each day with thankfulness to Him … that He forgives me and that nothing can separate me from His grace and His love. Sometimes I feel a bit guilty that I have to ask for so many do-overs, but I remain so very thankful that I can.
So, think about it - the next time you are anxious about the score, look into His eyes of grace and be thankful that He speaks forth so freely, “Do-over!”
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