As a kid we grew up in a very different world than the one that exists now. Although I like Xbox Major League Baseball 2K8 it’s just not the same. Our days running around the neighborhood consisted of one major event, baseball. Baseball was an everyday activity and sometimes lasted all day. It’s what we did and who we were. Baseball was a dream, a chance to live a life bigger than yourself, amongst a rag tag bunch of guys who seldom wanted to be in the reality of the homes we lived in.
I can still remember getting my Johnny Bench facsimile autographed catchers mitt from the local Western Auto store. It was the most treasured $25 piece of leather I had ever owned. Day after day we would head down to the empty lot which I happened to live next to and put together a sandlot game that seemed to go on for hours. More than likely it was probably 50 innings each day.
Our days were spent with each other and rarely did anyone ever come looking for us. We all contributed something. Food from mom’s kitchen, baseballs, Bubblegum or the Chewing tobacco we tried once, but immediately threw up. We either played until it was too dark or until enough of us were called home by the only word that mattered, “dinner”. Those were the most care free times of our lives.
As you grow older and time goes on, you move to other things. Things that need your attention such as family, careers, friends, life in general takes an unfamiliar turn. Then, there are the times when it all comes back. It never fails to come back to me when I walk into Wrigley Field or Dodger Stadium or for that matter any ballpark (Other than that artificial bubble in Minnesota). If there is a sensation of being close to heaven, there it is. Walking in through the gate, through the stone hallways and then through the entrance to the seats above the field. This little piece of heaven reveals itself with incredible colors. The bright lights illuminate the incredible green of the grass and the roar of the crowd brings a surreal sense of exhilaration to your ears. I sit quietly with such awe that I can hardly speak. That is until the first crack of the bat. Then, I’m in.
Really, I guess it’s not quite like heaven. I mean if God is that great and Wrigley field is the best he can do. We may all be in trouble. What it is really about is the dream. The dream makes life possible in the midst of turmoil. The dream makes the pain worth it. The dream leads us to believe that there is greater purpose and ability in us then we ever see on a daily basis.
The reality is though, that a dream can’t be captured. It is always meant to be free and at some level unattainable. That’s what makes it great. It is that boundless arena of life that exists beyond us that is brought together by a promise made long ago; that in a world filled with trouble and pain, God is not finished with us. It is wrapped in a promise that a day is coming so glorious that we best be like children to fully enjoy it. A dream is worth chasing. It is worth dying for and it is worth surrendering all that we may think we are to finally slide in safe at home.
"Don't let this throw you. You trust God, don't you? Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live. And you already know the road I'm taking." John 14:3
“Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.” Ashley Smith
