“It pleases God when children honor their parents." ~ Colossians
3:20
When empty, the old stadium was
just steel and concrete. But on game
day, the place came alive. Thousands of fans
filled wooden seats that disappeared into the shadows at the very top. An impeccably manicured field, outlined in
lime, defined the battle lines.
Back then they may not have had luxury suites or multi-story
LED scoreboards. Nor did they have
swimming pools or amusement rides or white-tablecloth restaurants and brew
pubs. But they did have a distinctive
charm and character.
“Knot-Holers” got their name from those days when kids who
couldn’t afford the price of admission would look through knotholes in the
fence until someone caught them and chased them off.Over time, management decided it was in baseball’s best interest to provide cheap seats inside the stadiums rather than let them go unused. After all, kids who watched their heroes from the Knot-Hole Section helped shape the game’s future.
Seats were ground level; the view was less than ideal. Officials separated the Knot-Hole section from
the regular full-priced seats by chain link barriers. Unless the game was sold out, admission for
kids was four bits ($0.50). But seats for adults
in the Knot-Hole section were normal admission price.
Some dads used the Knot-Hole ‘bullpen’ as an inexpensive
3-hour babysitter while they watched the game from far better vantage points. Not Bud however.
On home games, Bud would drive his two boys across town to
Memorial Stadium. He’d ask for two
children's and one adult ticket to the Knot-Hole Section.
The person in the ticket booth would look curiously at him and
say, "There’s plenty of good seats in the stadium." Bud would respond, "I want to sit in the
Knot-Hole section." The person
would say, "But you’ll have to pay full price and it gets kinda rowdy in
there." Bud would reply kindly,
"I know," buy the tickets, and go sit between his boys.
Bud was more interested in time with his sons than he was
the action between the two teams on the field. As much as he loved baseball, he loved being
with them more.
There were many godly qualities about Bud that others
admired. But none were more God-like
than his love for and interest in his children.
As much Bud loved his kids and wanted to be intimately
involved in their lives, our heavenly Father loves us more. I thank God I have both of them in my life. Above all else as we approach a day where we
honor our fathers, I honor mine for leading me to Christ. Not just by word, but by example. And I pray that someday my children will look
back and say the same about me.
Father, thank You for my parents; keep them well
in body and spirit. Bless them
generously for their loving care for me. Grant that, through Your grace, I may always support and comfort them. After our life earthly together, we long to experience the
joy of praising You forever. Amen
