“The watches of you like a protective shade." ~ Psalm 121:5
Like so many New Englanders, Tom adored
the Red Sox. He coached his kids through
Little League and, occasionally, took them to one of the most beloved MLB
ballparks on earth - Fenway Park.
He’d scored 3 tickets for a game against the White Sox. With his two younger sons in tow, the usher escorted
them to front-row seats just behind the Red Sox dugout. Tom’s smile couldn’t adequately reflect his
amazement. The lush turf, the Green
Monster - they were so close.
The game was everything they’d hoped for. With the score tied 2-2, Bosox second baseman
Dave Stapleton swung late, slashing a foul ball into the stands to the right side
of home plate. The ball whistled into
the seats so fast it was hard to follow. Tom assumed the ball entered the dugout.
Tom looked down at Jonathan. Blood gushed from a wound over his left
eye. The ball had fractured his son’s
skull.
Boston slugger Jim Rice, one of the game’s biggest stars at
the time, stood on the top stair of the dugout.
He couldn't see exactly where the ball landed but heard the horrific
thud, the "Ooooh" of the crowd - and the dreadful silence that
followed.
Sprinting from the dugout, he leapt into the crowd. Cradling the unresponsive child in his burly arms,
Rice hustled back to the dugout where he was immediately attended to by the
team’s physician. The scene took less
than 60 seconds.
Jonathon’s life-threatening head
injury required emergency surgery to relieve the pressure on his brain. Every second counted. Rice's quick thinking helped save the boy’s
life. Rice even requested that the
hospital bill be sent to him personally.
Incredibly, Jonathan left the
hospital 5 days later. They’d reunite 8
months later at Fenway when Jonathon delivered the first pitch of the ‘83
season.
The best thing Jim Rice did in a
Red Sox uniform wasn’t mentioned on his Hall of Fame plaque. It doesn't show up in his stats or support
his stature as one of the most dominant hitters of his era.
Rice, a father of two young
children, was thinking of only one thing.
"My child," he said.
God our Father in heaven is the
perfect example of what a father should be - a life-giver, instructor, provider,
and protector. He watches over us; never
needing a break from the incessant needs of His children.
The God “who keeps you” won’t doze off at 11 pm scrolling
through notifications on an iPhone. No,
He’s available every minute of every day for the entirety of our lives and into
eternity. Such vigilant protection is
unlike any other god.
“Our Father, who art in heaven,” thank You for
delighting in Your children. Help us consider
all that You are and all that You have done for us. Pour out Your love, grace, and goodness upon all
Dads today and every day. Amen
