I took Gabriela on a daddy date last nite to the Pacer game. Long story on why we went to a Pacer game. That’s not important. But what was important and wonderful was the precious cuteness of Gabriela witnessing the amazing halftime show performance by the Sandou Trio Russian Bar. Two guys and a girl. The guys strategically hold this very bendy bar, and the girl does some of the most amazing feats jumping from the bar, doing flips at leads 10 feet in the air and all manner of craziness before landing back on the bar with sickening balance. I was going crazy myself, close to embarrassing us both with insane applause and yelling.

And Gabriela at some point notices how many seats were empty and saw more people leaving. “Why are so many people leaving, daddy?” “Well, people come to see the basketball game, so at halftime when the players aren’t playing, people go to the bathroom and get a drink.” “I can’t believe people go to the bathroom at halftime and miss this!!!” She was incredulous. It was fantastic. I couldn’t blame her. The Russian Trio show was approximately 350 million times more interesting than NBA basketball and required at least 7,000 times the talent of throwing a ball through a ring with a net attached to it.

The spiritual metaphor here is pretty obvious, I’m sure. We typically tune out when life is most interesting and meaningful. We think the football game, Netflix, or career is so important and worthy of our fullest attention. Meanwhile, we tune out our kids trying to tell us about some story they made up with their God-given and magnificent imagination. Or our parents telling us something for the 400th time because they feel so safe and comfortable with us to do so. Or some stranger who just wants to be listened to as they talk crazy with us for a minute in the check-out lane.

Maybe we’re missing the awesome halftime show. Maybe that is much better and more meaningful than the game we’re watching so intently.

In the Name of Jesus,
Soli Deo Gloria