I Witnessed a Miracle Today

I had to blog on this because I was taught part of recieving a miracle is sharing the miracle with others.

It was overcast and a little sprinkly when I reached the Miracle League park today. I grabbed my umbrella, not really sure if I'd need it and made my way to the souvenir stand.

The rain picked up and we had to delay our first game. After about 30 minutes the rain stopped and we squeegied the field and the Braves vs. the Cardinals game began. We were about mid way through the 2nd inning when the bottom dropped out. Everyone dashed for the dugouts.

It rained hard for about 15 minutes and players started leaving. Though it has a drain system, the hard rain was too much for it and the low-lying home team dugout where several Braves waited flooded. One of the Braves, a player I will call C., is wheelchair bound. Now this is no ordinary wheelchair, it's an electric wheelchair custom made just for him. It costs more than my car. The coach had manuvered him to the only dry spot in the dugout. I grabbed my umbrella and made my way to the dugout to help sheild C. from the rain.

Over my past four years with the Miracle League, I've learned quite a bit about the costs associated with caring for both physically and mentally challenged individuals. I don't know how they do it. I do know that insurance companies do not pay nearly enough for the care of those with special needs and am amazed that these parents are making it. I thank the Lord continually that my children are healthy. But I can say, I've seen that because of these costs , many of our team parents do without so that their children can have the best care possible.

Such is the case with C.'s mom. When the time came to get a new vehicle, she could not afford a van and had to opt for a pick-up truck in order to move C. and his chair around. After one unfortunate trip through the rain where the tarp covering the chair blew off, shorting out the chair, she learned not to venture out in the rain.

She had made a tough call today, bringing C. out when the weather was suspect. But C. loves coming to the park so much, she chanced it only to be stranded in the rain. We all tried to think of ways to help, but she had been in this situation before. She kept saying that they would just have to wait it out. When it was suggested that she call the assisted living facility he lived in,nearly an hour East of the park, to see if they could send for him. This made him very upset and another coach tried to soothe him as she got on the phone. She said, "it's that or pray for the rain to stop." I said "well, I guess we should do that."

I stood over C. shielding him from the blowing rain with my umbrella, while she made the call. I might not be very helpful at much else, but the least I could do was pray. As she spoke to someone at the facility, I bowed my head and prayed silently that God would stop the rain, just long enough to get C. back home. I said "Amen" as she was getting the word that they had no one to help.

That is when it happened.

The rain, that had been blowing in on us from all sides of the dugout, stopped as if turning off a faucet!

We all looked at each other in disbelief! Did that just happen?!

We moved into high-gear. She retrieved the truck and drove it right up to the dugout. We strapped C. in the front seat and everyone went to work trying to cover the chair to keep it dry on the drive. Then we took a minute to thank the Lord for our little miracle and sent them on the way before the rain started up again.

It's been an hour and a half, and I hear the rain again.
I have faith they made it.