"This Is the Way; Walk In It"

After 14 years of living in a college town, I finally made it to a college football game.

My husband has been to many games and never wanted to "waste" good tickets on me.

To be fair,

he was in the right.

I am much more about people watching than game watching.

Much more interested in half-time shows than touchdowns.

But this time it was MY friend that offered us tickets.

Thanks, Julie!

So I graciously let Monte come.

I'm a real peach like that.

The day started out dark and chilly and wet.

But it dried up just in time for a brunch tailgate.

Check out the "breakfast" cupcakes I brought from Chocolate Cafe:

Dark chocolate cupcakes infused with bacon with
a coffee and bacon icing. Look at those cute eggs
on top with the bacon!

They truly are geniuses with flavor and icing.

Our seats were amazing.

We had such an amazing view as the band entered the field.

Can you even imagine??

What precision in their steps and movements.

Never mind the flexibility.

But it was the half-time show that blew me away.

While the university band was forming the traditional script Ohio on the field

(it is a BIG deal who gets to dot the "i"), 

the Ohio School for the Blind formed the braille version of Ohio (which required two dots for the "i").

Photo credit:  http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com

The blind students had guides walking behind them with one hand on their shoulders, leading them.

It was so loud in the stadium with 

so many band members playing at once

yet I could still see some of the guides lean in 

and speak close to the ear of the person

 they were leading.

The people in the red jackets are their guides.
Photo credit:  http://www.thebuckeyebattlecry.com

I instantly thought of the general idea of this verse (although I have to disclose it took me FOREVER to find it--thank you Lord for the concordance in the back of my bible!).

Isaiah 30:21:

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."

I was so struck by the confident stance of each of those high school band members as they marched onto a field and into a formation they couldn't see 

in front of an enormous audience they could only hear.

I read an interview with one of the blind band members this morning that said they could feel the electricity of the crowd.

Whoa! They could feel us watching them.

That made me think of one of my all-time favorite verses:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

Hebrews 12:1-2

Boy, we sometimes forget in the extreme "noise" of our daily lives that there is someone right there with us

whispering,

"This is the way; walk in it."

And I still walk around unsure in my steps as if any minute I am going to fall into some big dark pit.

Or worse:

I walk around thinking I'd make a better guide.

I wish you could've seen these kids

these blind kids.

Their steps were not unsure

and they were moving quickly.

Their heads held up high

utterly dependent on their guide

yet completely confident in where they were being led. 

In the same article I was reading this morning there was a quote from a current member of the university marching band,

"Wow, if these guys can do this, where 
have I sold myself short on what I can do?"

Wow is right!

The things you can learn at a football game.