"God Is Good... Right, Dad?"

You are probably wondering how "God Is Good" and football practice are connected so let me take you back a couple of decades. The Cincinnati Bengals used to have a training camp in Georgetown, Ky and so I would take my son, Blake, to Georgetown every year for this big event. In 2003, I had booked a hotel room for us to stay a couple of days and go watch the Bengals practices but that week started off differently than it normally did. Shortly after we had checked into the room, I received a phone call from a family at our church and her father-in-law was in the hospital and not expected to make it through the night. I explained the situation to Blake and we headed back home. He was very disappointed but he understood that I needed to go back. Sure enough, Robert Holt passed away that night and I had been with the family in the hospital. While we were at the hospital, Blake was spending the night with Rhonda's folks.

But here is where the story takes an amazing turn. The next morning, I received a phone call from a friend of mine and he asked if I was at the Bengals camp. Then he said that if we were there, Blake would get to be a ball boy for the Bengals' practice session that afternoon. I knew that the funeral wasn't going to be scheduled until a few days later because of family coming in so if I could get in contact with Blake, maybe we could get there in time. Minutes were ticking by quickly but I was able to pick him up and head back to Georgetown. My mind was full of thoughts like "I hope we make it on time". As I was driving in the first stage of Lexington traffic, Blake said something but I didn't understand what he said. I could tell he was expecting me to say something and I asked him to repeat what he said. He was excited about being a ball boy for the Bengals that day and he said "God is good...". Many of you know how one person would say "God is good" and the rest of the people are supposed to say "All the time" but I missed it the first time that he said it. After hearing what he said, I was reminded once again that yes, God is good. And yes, He is good all of the time.

We did get there in time for him to meet the team, help with the equipment, drive the Gator and so much more. When the day was finished, he said "Dad, this is the best day ever" with a great big smile. Yes, Blake, it was an awesome day. In the midst of all that was going on, God gave us a surprise that I will never forget.

Psalm 34:8 (ESV) — 8 Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!