Let Time Go Lightly

“Children are a blessing and a gift from the LORD.” -- Psalm 127:3

The day was one of those days, when the rain poured nonstop and the sun hid behind a thick blanket of clouds.  A storm was approaching – he could smell it.  Deadly silence pierced his ears; painfully quiet.  Cold, dreary days always compounded his grief.

Rain usually made him bored and sleepy, but today he chose as his mission the rediscovery of a love long gone.  Somewhere in these albums was a photo of his wife.  Emerald eyes revealed strength and wisdom; he’d never forget her youthful beauty.  Trying to forget someone you love is like trying to remember someone you never met.

As he examined each of these long buried treasures, a tsunami of memories washed over him.  The past came alive in areas that had been dry like the Sahara Desert.

Beneath one of the dusty albums, he spied a child’s badly worn journal.  He couldn’t recall ever having seen it before but it must have belonged to his son Jimmy whose name adorned the cover in big, clumsy letters.  Opening the now-faded pages, he read a short passage.  His mouth curved in an unconscious grin having now forgotten the cherished photo that originally triggered his search.

It was the voice of a little boy, God’s precious child entrusted to him at birth.  He’d grown up way too fast in this very house.  In the silence of his soul, the words of a candid six-year old carried the old man back to a time almost forgotten.  Page after page revealed an agonizing truth - his son’s recollections seemed far different than his own.  Could that be true?

He’d kept his old business calendars; maybe they would refute his fears.  Opening a glass cabinet door, he reached in, retrieved an old business journal and placed the two side by side.

His was leather bound; his name embossed in gold lettering.  Arthritic fingers paused over each letter as though he could restore what had been worn away by time and use.

As he opened his journal, his eyes fell upon a brief July 14^th entry: “Wasted the whole day with Jimmy today – didn’t catch a damn thing!”  With a deep sigh, he took Jimmy’s Journal and found the boy’s entry for the same day.  Large scrawling letters pressed deeply into the paper read “Went fishing with Daddy.  Best day of my life!”

To the world you might be just one person.  To one person . . . you might just be the world.  The greatest good you can do for a child is not just to share your riches, but your time.  Sharing your wisdom is not nearly as valuable as helping them reveal their own. 

Father!  We cannot give You a holier name.  Guide us to be great role models to all children.  Help me to be a father like You are – grace full and patient to handle situations in a loving way.  Amen