Carpool

Yesterday was my day for carpool. This is not something I think anyone particularly looks forward to primarily because of the huge chunk of time it takes out of your day.I met at CFA at 5 to pick up everyone then drove across town to drop off the first group at football practice, stopped for gas, then headed about 30 minutes the other direction for the next drop-off, then grabbed fast food for myself and headed back to watch the rest of football and bring the boys home. Not the most rewarding way to spend your night but sometimes,like last night, it pays off.
I was driving Brandt and two of his friends home from their second week of JV football practice. The boys were unusually talkative as they relived moments from practice- the good and the bad. They all agreed they couldn't wait until next year when they wouldn't be freshmen anymore and they would know all the plays. Talk soon turned to last season on the middle school team and how awesome they each were at their respective positions. I would give anything to have had this recorded. It was so funny- I mean, the testosterone was just flowing in that car! But then one of the boys said something that, besides being ridiculously funny, was actually quite profound.
They were talking about different plays from the games they played last season- incredible interceptions, unbelievable touchdowns, amazing tackles,..and Connor says"Yeah- the best play of the season for me was in that game and only me and my dad remember it." Now we are all dying laughing, thinking if it was so incredible- how come you two are the only ones who remember it? But he is dead serious and goes on to explain how even in the highlight video- you see Brandt running the ball for this awesome touchdown and off to the side you can see a giant kid that was coming to take Brandt out- get tackled. You don't see who tackles him or how- but the tackle is made and Brandt breezes into the endzone unobstructed. Then you hear the crowd, the team, the coaches yelling "Way to go, Brandt!" But the kid who made that touchdown possible was Connor and nobody noticed...except his dad.
I thought about that all night. Connor laughed as he told us that story and we laughed with him because, frankly, it was funny, especially when Connor told it. I was pretty amazed by the whole thing, though, considering how much we all are dying for affirmation and recognition most of the time. He would have loved everybody to notice what he did, but it was enough that his dad saw and they could relive that moment together.."Do you remember, Connor, when you took out that kid twice your size, to save the touchdown and help win the game?..Man, that was awesome." Some of us don't have those kind of dad moments from childhood and we envy Connor because he does but what's worse than missing out on those past moments is living your entire life and missing out on these moments with your Abba Father. He sees everything you do that feels overlooked and unnoticed. He says "Do you remember- when you did more than was asked of you, loved more than necessary, forgave when no one was sorry, gave more than you had to give? That was so awesome!" He sees, He knows and He loves us so so much. He is a Dad like no other and He never misses a moment. We can say with confidence- "My best moment of the season and only me and My Dad remember it" and like Connor, if we really know our Father's love for us, it will be more than enough.
**(As an added note for anyone who read my last blog- Brandt forgot his football helmet when we left practice last night- he did,however, remember his shoes.)**