After Midnight

The full moon reached out to me last night after midnight.  Our bedroom window was wide open to let the cool breeze enter.  I don't normally stay up so late but my favorite football team, the San Diego Chargers, was playing on Monday Night Football and I enjoyed some quality time with our youngest son while we cheered for them.  This season has special meaning for me.  The sixteen week season is like a countdown clock.  Once the final game is played in December it will be time to say good-bye to our youngest son when he leaves for boot camp the first week in January.

I could have been really mad last night when I watched our team squander their fourth quarter lead in the final minutes.  I wasn't.  This may be shocking to those who know my competitive side.  Something else was going on inside my head.  I wasn't focused on the loss – I was thinking about all I had, like some great friends and a bunch of really incredible cousins.  When I challenged one of them to a beer bet I was confident the Chargers would stun the hometown team.  My cousin teased me with a FB message letting me know it wasn't in the "Cards" for me tonight.  He was right.  I sent him a late night message congratulating him and letting him know I'm looking forward to serving him his beer the next time I see him.  As the clock struck midnight, another cousin was getting ready for his birthday two time zones away.  The full moon peering through the clouds reminded me how my cousin is a bright light shining in my life no matter how far apart we may be geographically.

I thought about all the people I'm connected to who were probably watching the game on national TV.  Some are saying good-bye to their dad, an avid Chargers fan.  The final outcome of the game wasn't as important as the time they were spending with their dad, now in the closing minutes of the 4th quarter of his earthly life.  I thought about a good friend who was sending photos from the game.  We spent twenty-three seasons watching the Padres when he visited San Diego every July.

Yes.  The full moon was working its magic.  It was doing what it does best when it's in the right location – reflecting the light of the sun.  Without the sun, there would only be darkness.  When my time on this earth is over, the first thing I'm going to do when I meet Jesus is thank him for being the light of this world and for giving me so many awesome people who reflect his light, especially on my dark days, like the one who is celebrating his birthday today.  He's the only person I know who has read all 1,840 of my stories.  Happy birthday, cousin.  Today's blog is dedicated to you.  Have a great day.