DailySusan Humor Blog

GO BIG DADDY

But exhort one another daily. . . .
-- Hebrews 3:13a

Our second baby was due on the day of the 1984 Oklahoma game. For Nebraska football fans, that’s like scheduling your wedding on Christmas morning. Ewww!

We were ranked No. 1, too. My doctor, my husband and I all wanted to go to the game. Here was our plan:

If I didn’t get stuck in the turnstile, I could lumber up to Row 1,502 inconspicuously practicing my Lamaze breathing: ‘’Hoo! Hah! Hoo! Hah!’’

If my water broke, relax: the floor’s concrete.

If contractions began, I’d fit right in: everybody ELSE would be red-faced and screaming, too.

At two minutes apart, my fellow fans could Pass the (Huuuuuuuge) Bod to get me over to him.

At halftime, he could deliver the baby and wrap her in a Husker program.

AAAIIIEEE!!!

We lost that game, 17-7. But then again, we’d already won, because our beautiful Neely was born a few days early.

Perspective, sports fans.

The Huskers are now having what they call a ‘’character-building year.’’ Again, perspective. There’s a lot more to them than what we see on the field. They’re winners. They really are.

We’ll be thinking this week of our favorite Cornhusker, senior linebacker Chad Sievers, No. 54. He’s been honored lately as the team’s verbal sparkplug.

He radiates enthusiasm, running on and off the field like a little boy playing ‘’Airplane.’’ He pounds on the coaches’ backs and bruises his teammates’ arms. Once, he tossed a huge glass of water in his own face, and shook himself: ‘’Brrrrrr!’’

His teammates call him ‘’Psycho.’’ But he’s just a solid Christian with the ‘’spiritual gift of exhortation.’’ He’s a natural-born encourager. This gentle son of sweet Karen and nice Scott prayed about how to help his team. The answer: fire them up! So he did.

Chad is no psycho in real life. He’ll graduate soon with a 4.0 GPA. He was a poised, handsome groom when our daughter Maddy was a flower girl in his wedding. He’s been a caring, protective husband for Jessie, daughter of our dear friends Steve and Jeannie Runty.

And he’s going to be a father any day now -- maybe even during the O.U. game in Norman Saturday.

I hope it’s before or after, so he’ll be home to use his special gift of exhortation during labor.

Don’t worry, he won’t toss a glass of water in HER face! He’s ready for mature fatherhood. Here’s how I know:

Chad mentors an 8-year-old boy in Lincoln. Isaiah’s parents were drug addicts. His foster mother adopted him. He’s happy in her home. But there’s no man to rough-house with, to discipline him, to model manhood.

Chad volunteered through church to work at a special camp. They met. They bonded. Now Chad, Jessie and Isaiah are a team. Isaiah goes to Husker games. Afterwards, Chad comes out, Isaiah rides on his shoulders, and they all go to dinner.

Not to the bars with Chad’s buddies . . . to dinner, with a lonesome little boy.

Chad’s family knows he’s ready to be a father, too. They had celebrated together after the first game, but it was time to take Isaiah home. The crowded car was driven by Chad’s father-in-law, Steve, himself a former Husker quarterback. Isaiah sat on Chad’s lap. Steve saw how Isaiah was reveling in the closeness -- the love.

Steve watched Chad take Isaiah’s hand and walk him up to his door, jostle around with him, then give him a parting bear hug. Tears filled Steve’s eyes. He saw what was in store for his grandchildren:

Godly, manly love.

That’s character, sports fans.

Look beyond the end zone and the scoreboard. Young people today, like Chad, have character. Because of that, we’re all going to win, in ways that really count.

It doesn’t get any better than that . . . EXCEPT MAYBE A LAST-SECOND FLEAFLICKER PASS TO BEAT THE SOONERS AT THEIR OWN GAME IN THEIR OWN STADIUM!!!

HUNH, BOYS?!?

Go get ‘em!

Go Big Red!!!

Go Big Daddy! Go, Jessie, too! Have a great baby! And when you do, we’ll all be red-faced and screaming . . . with joy.

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Prayer request: Joy also fills my heart, Lord Jesus, over the outcome of the election. Special thanks for the victories for President Bush and the new U.S. senator from South Dakota, John Thune, as well as the defeat of those gambling proposals in Nebraska. Send a tidal wave of better communication about Your values from the red states in the heartland to the blue states on the coasts. Unite us once again as Your people and brighten our light in Your world. (Revelation 2:26)