Sunrise/Sunset
The last day of our trip I made my way up the stairs to the
smell of coffee and quiet chatter. I poured a cup of what makes me smile in the
morning and made my way to the balcony I had shared laughter with my family for
the last week. My Father, Uncle, Sister and two nieces and one nephew shared
the porch. We stood or sat huddled under blankets and sweaters on a cool June
morning as the Outer Banks took a beating from Mother Nature’s breath. The
winds were so strong, as I turned my mug to drink of God’s gift of coffee, the
liquid flowed from the cup and onto my arm, immediately cooled, but unable to
stand the wind force and stay in the cup. The ocean looked angry as white caps
shown as far as the ocean met the sky and the beach could not be seen for the
furry of beating waves, farther up the coast than we had seen all week. For
only three minutes we watched the perfectly straight line at ocean and sky as
the color orange became more prominent over the clouds until at last, the
brilliant orange dot made its appearance. I watched as a flock of Pelican’s
began flight, just as the sun crest the earth, as if they paid homage to the
Creator. We stood listening to children
ohh and ahh as the sun slowly rose and within minutes was full circle, too
bright to continue watch. It struck me
that somewhere, someone else was watching the sun disappear over another
horizon. One man’s sunrise is another man’s sunset. The beauty of it hit and
has stuck as my favorite moment with my family.
For my days are like a shadow
that lengthens, and I wither away like grass.
Psalms 102:11
Many stories were shared over that week. Some bigger than
they actually were and others just as they had happened. We talked of loved
ones gone with laughter instead of tears and reminisced of days gone by. One
evening, as my sister, brother, and I worked without instruction to clean the
kitchen, my Dad just watched with mist in his eyes. I wonder, at that moment,
did he see three grown children with families of our own, or three young
siblings, laughing together? So is life, as one generation rises, another
begins to set. Both are just as beautiful, yet the morning sunrise brings
promise of a new day as the setting sun brings only memories of a day that can
never be repeated.
Your Kingdom is an everlasting
kingdom;
Your rule is for all generations…..
Psalm 145:13
Even now the nostalgia from the past week rushes over me as
I listen to, Simon and Garfunkel on my IPhone, repeating the words of, well
remembered songs, from Sunday morning vinyl. My Sunday mornings were full of
the Ventures, Beach Boys, JD Sumner, Elvis, and many more. Late one evening,
while on vacation, we played pool in the game room and sang, Bridge over
Troubled waters. I realized that those Sunday mornings were entangled in all of
us, no matter how far we each had strayed; we were all part of each other. We
all shared, our childhood memories, with our own, next generation.
Therefore the Lord God said: “Look
I have laid a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure
foundation;
The one who believes will be
unshakable.
Isaiah 28:16
Cornerstone, is define as a stone that forms the base of a
corner of a building, joining two ways or an important quality or feature on
which a particular thing depends or is based. This is the foundation for followers of
Christ, in that Christ is our cornerstone. Much is the same in a family. When
my Pawpaw, passed away, I remember feeling shaken. Like a part of the family
layer had been removed. The wonderful truth for believers and hope for nonbelievers,
is that our Cornerstone, is a sure foundation and when we believe in Him, we
will not be shaken. With family, when the head is gone, it can take time to
find your footing and come together. Sometimes these families are blended and
mixed together, other times, it just takes the Prodigal child coming home.
Whatever it is in your family that you call the cornerstone,
I pray that you always find happiness together. Don’t allow storms, death, or
long distance to shake your family foundation. Find time to come together as
one and get to know each person. Don’t wait, 20 years, like my family did. I know
that my Pawpaw would have loved to sit back and watch the madness that took
place last week as we all came together on the Outer Banks. Pray for those lost
to you and know that God has a plan, offer forgiveness where it is needed,
humble yourself even when you are the hurt one, and take time to just sit back
and watch as your family unit shares generation after generation of pieces of
one another. Sing off tone to family favorites, stay up too late with the kids,
eat ice cream at 10 pm, because it’s there, and bite your tongue when something
bothers you. Most of all, hug the one that needs it the most, lay your head on
the shoulder of a loved one and don’t pull back when they hold your hand. Wipe
away tears as you share a memory and listen to someone else’s version, instead
of sharing, what really happened.
Lord, thank you
for a family with an earthly father that is a cornerstone. Though he is not
perfect, he loves each of us. He worked three jobs to support us and always
tried to do what was right. He loves us through our failures and brags on us in
our accomplishments. I pray for the father missing their child today, I pray
for the child missing their father today. I thank you for the men that have
been fathers to the fatherless and I thank you most of all for my Daddy. Amen
Happy Father’s Day!
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