I am sitting on the sofa next to my four-year-old grandson. We are playing the Mario Kart video game. It’s a car-racing game featuring digital vehicles you get to design and operate. The course has many hazards and pitfalls, and the cars are armed with various weapons you can use to slow down your opponent.
My grandson is killing me. Even at his young age, he has a real feel for this technology. He toys with me. He lets me lead him until just before we get to the finish line. Then he unleashes a bomb or a lightning bolt that blows me off the track, while he cruises across the line in first place. This happens over and over.
RELATED: Check out more stories on faith and culture from Ken Lass.
Subscribe to The Alabama Baptist today!
I started out letting him win, because that’s what grampas do. But it soon became evident he didn’t need my help. After losing several races, I became determined to beat this little rascal. I gripped the controller tightly, stared at the screen intensely, my thumbs pounding the buttons, my body swaying and ducking in tandem with my car on the screen.
It was no use. He was just too good. I couldn’t believe I was unable to defeat somebody who had not yet learned to read. After yet another loss, I dropped the controller out of frustration and said, “I quit.”
I’ll never forget the expression on my grandson’s face. He flashed me a sympathetic smile, and in the sweetest tone of voice ever, he chirped, “Please play one more race with me Grampa. I’ll let you win.”
And he did.
Grace from a 4-year-old
Imagine that. Grace from a 4-year-old. He saw that I was unhappy, and something inside of him wanted to make it right. Maybe it was just a ploy to get me to keep playing. But I want to believe it was the Spirit of God deep inside, manifesting itself as spontaneous love and empathy.
I pray every day that as he grows up this gift will flourish through his personality.
We played several more times, and I won a few. I know he let me win. He knows it too.
He can’t tie his own shoes, but he can role model Christian love for me. I only hope I can learn it well.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Ken Lass is a retired Birmingham television news and sports anchor and an award-winning columnist for numerous publications and websites.
Share with others: