The Non-Game

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23

Honor your father and your mother. Exodus 20:12

Nebraska is a unique place. Our football team, after being used to winning nine games a season and having five national championships, lost their first six games in 2018. Yet, our coach is humble, the fans are patient, show signs of kindness and self-control and are faithful for sure. Ninety thousand showed up for the seventh game.

The players won that game and doused our first-year coach with Gatorade after the win. At the post-game interview on television the coach said he didn’t deserve that honor from the team because they just won one game. I know what he meant. When the tennis boys doused me after winning the conference championship, I was elated. We had earned it.

The football games in Nebraska unite us all in one. It doesn’t matter if the whole country is divided in politics, when we gather at Memorial Stadium, we are one. I have a new mission statement for our family-We are all Separate but we are One. My son and his wife turned fifty this October and I offered them a trip somewhere to celebrate together. Guess what, they chose coming to Nebraska. We were able to get tickets for eight of us to go to the game that was never played. Yes, lightning, which no human can control, stopped the game. Did that ruin the night for us? No, not one bit. We had gathered together as a family; sixteen of us had a great time. The memories of running to the car in the rain, not having seen a game and meeting the rest of the family that had watched it NOT happen on TV will be a lasting memory for us.

The highlight for my sister’s family, after her daughter and family traveled to Lincoln to be together and attend a Nebraska football game, was to see our new coach win the seventh game. As mothers, we found joy in having our families together. It does not take the win to feel the true Spirit and love of family.

Prayer: Oh Lord, God of all, thank you for giving us all these wonderful things which are against no laws. Thank you for our families and the joy we have being together, mothers, fathers, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Amen.

Sandra Hilsabeck