Who's Watching You?

We are still replaying the highlights of our last Saturday evening gathering to watch our beloved Cardinals play the Atlanta Braves at Busch Stadium! It was an occasion full of various elements that included celebrating with Matt, our eldest son, on his fiftieth birthday! Twenty-one family members had come in from New Mexico, Texas, Saint Louis, and Illinois!

"Want some Dippin' Dots, Honey?"

The mid-afternoon celebration started at Ted Drews Frozen Custard with each of us ready to sample our favorites from their famous ice cream menu of shakes and concretes. As we approached the ordering windows, a light sprinkle or two of rain greeted us momentarily, but it only lasted a few minutes before the sun would shine brightly throughout the rest of the evening.

Then, we made our way over to the stadium to check in at the gate, and receive the David Eckstein Bobblehead promotional giveaway. Those of us who were older were eager to get a hand on this commemorative memento that featured one of the great Cardinals of the past. Eckstein was not only a fan favorite, leadoff hitter, standout shortstop between 2005-2007, but his tenacity and hustle also contributed to the winning of the 2006 World Series! His efforts earned him the Most Valuable Player award!

Our family was privileged to have access to the Redbird Club, with its air-conditioned and dedicated gathering space near concessions and stadium seating. It was a perfect place for us to connect with family and spend time visiting with each other! Monique and I felt like VIP sitting comfortably in our padded chairs overlooking the players! We had a splendid view of the gorgeously manicured field surrounded by thousands of friendly fans in their seats!

The game got off to a great start with a three-run homer by Lars Nootbaar in the bottom of the first inning! He would lead the charge as the Cardinals would celebrate a 4-1 win over the visiting Braves! (As a side note, we refer to Lars as “our boy” because we got his autograph four years ago, while standing in line with him and waiting to fly home to St. Louis on the same plane from Chicago.) It was such fun hearing the Saturday night crowd cheer out, “Nooooot! Nooooot!” repeatedly as this exciting player touched all the bases!

Our oldest grandson, Brady Nolan, (and yes, he is named after two great sport heroes!) sheepishly surprised me during the game by saying, “Poppi, I just sent you a photo I took of you and Mimi. I think you’ll like it!” When I saw the picture, I told him, “I may be able to write something about this one!” 😊

Our special seats during the game gave us accessibility to the family, and especially the grands, who were coming and going throughout the concourse area. They would stop and greet us or just touch our shoulders, reminding us that they were in proximity and watching out for us! We were blessed to get several loving hugs during the evening!

Parents and grandparents, be aware of this… your kids and grands are watching everything you do and taking note of what you say! You are to be role models, mentors, and heroes to this next generation! They are watching how you “do life,” how you manage challenges, and they are shaped by your opinions, responses to problems, and certainly, how you daily live out your faith before them.

The Book of Proverbs has advice for parents and children. Parents are instructed to “Train up a child in the way he should go, even when he grows older he will not abandon it.” (Proverbs 22:6, NASB). Here’s a lesson for children from the same Bible book, “A wise child accepts a parent’s discipline (training with instruction); a mocker refuses to listen to correction.” (Pr. 13:1, NLT).

A Christian home is the most important setting for spiritual formation. The church has its responsibility for instruction in the Word. This is accomplished through small group teaching and biblically based messages during worship. Yet finally, it is in the context of Christ-honoring family life that the Gospel must be taught and lived out.

Moses’ instruction is still relevant today, “You must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands… repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.” (Deuteronomy 6:6).

If the world is to see what Christianity really looks like in practice, families must make a strong commitment to teaching and living out God’s commands. Let’s remember, there are many eyes watching!

 Related Links: Autograph  Gossip

Mike Keppler, retired pastor,
active churchman and
doting grandparent.
Contact: drmjkeppler@gmail.com
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