I didn't forget you...
A few years ago this video was all over social media. In it, Braheim Fowler and his father, Devon, are headed to Braheim’s baseball game, but Braheim is clearly mad at his father. He’s quiet and surly, slumping into his seat, hiding his face behind his baseball hat. Then Devon tells Braheim to get a bag out of the trunk of the minivan. One look at the box and Braheim’s face lights up. Devon is still filming and we can hear him saying to his son, “I ain’t forget about you.” If you don’t tear up watching this video then check your pulse, get someone to do CPR. It’s just so sweet: Braheim and Devon both trying to hold it together, Braheim’s mile-wide smile, father and son hugging. It’s just really heartwarming. Even better, a year later, at another big game, Braheim hits a home run with the birthday bat and his dad catches it - without dropping his camera! Clearly, both father and son have got some skills.
A few days ago, someone (I can’t remember who) posted this again, maybe on Twitter. I watched it a few times, crying again at the sweetness of it. Later in the day, I was out walking and kept thinking about that video. I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It’s a metaphor for how I relate to God, sometimes. Maybe you do this as well.
I want things from God. I ask for them. I pray for them. I get other people to pray for me for them. And then I wait, sometimes for a very long time. With some prayers, I am still waiting. More often than I care to admit, I get mad, surly. I cover my face and try to hide myself from God, convinced that He has forgotten me.
But, God, like Devon Fowler, never forgets children, for He loves us. He has ordered things and has a plan of which we are unaware. In His time, all will be revealed, gifts that will bring us joy. And with those gifts, maybe, we will hit home runs returning the gift to Him. We need only trust and be patient.