Go figure. Last night I was at another Rockies baseball game. Early Tuesday morning I got the call from Dad that he had "the seats". These are not just any seats, these are front row seats were you can actually see the players faces and what they are saying to each other. I am used to usually sitting in the cheaper seats so "the seats" are an awesome experience.
A few years ago we were sitting in "the seats" and had a funny experience. "The seats" are real close to first base where you have a great angle on plays at first base. You can hear the umpire and the first baseman talking because you are that close.
On this particular night there was a really close play at first base that the umpire called in favor of the other team. As home fans do, they booed the umpire. To our shame we were booing as well. Somebody near us made a snide comment to the umpire and he looked over to see who said it. There is an old term in baseball for umpires who do not know how to over look frustrated fans and who hear every comment, its called "rabbit ears". Rabbits are know for their long ears and their keen sense of hearing. So when an umpire gets caught up into the comments of the fans or the players and coaches they are called "rabbit ears."
My dad being the fan that he is, saw the umpire look over to find the guilty fan who was verbally harassing him and blurted out: "just call the game rabbit ears!" I was thinking to myself that the umpire must be really mad and frustrated.
Proverbs 15:1 'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." NIV
How would the umpire respond? Would he show his anger? Would he try to win a stare down and intimidate the fan that was talking to him and escalated the moment?
Instead of getting angry or tough he displayed wisdom and he modeled a lesson from the Proverbs, as crude as it was, on how to handle situations like that.
After hearing my Dad's comment about "rabbit ears" he very slowly pulled out both of his back pockets and let them dangle there on his dairy ere, as if to say:"I got your rabbit ears right here. He did this while staring stoically forward at the playing field. It was hilarious! What a great response. We all laughed and gave him applause. We had all forgotten that he blew the call and went on to enjoy the game.
I imagine he learned how to handle situations like that as a veteran umpire. I am sure as a young umpire he took it all way to personally, but learned that he would not last long as an umpire unless he learned how to respond appropriately. I walked away from that thinking about the Proverb: 'A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." NIV
Lets strive to be the type of people who do not stir up wrath by reacting to the moods, actions, and frustrations of others, but rather controlled by the Spirit we respond with a gentle answer and turn away wrath.
