Yesterday I went to visit my father in law. My husband was working on the pipes under the kitchen sink that went in over 40 years ago and are falling apart. I busied myself and in the end, we were there three hours.
An "it'll only take a minute" took three hours. As I waited, I visited with my father in law and we discussed packing some glassware that has sat on his dining room table for at least 5 years. That room is never used and I believe one reason is that you can't see the table for the glassware.
I told him we could pack all the pitchers, cups, glasses and other items. He got distracted and before I knew it, he was discribing specific items. "This piece lived through the fire" he said and then went on to tell me about the fire in the early 1900's that destroyed his parents home. "This piece was created by my late sister and it's over 100 years old." "This piece belonged to my great grandmother." Oh the stories.
Needless to say, we didn't make progress in packing. As we prepared to leave, I apologized to my father-in-law for not getting far. He looked at me and said "there is always another day."
That comes from a 97 year old man who has lived many days. This is a man who would rather you sit and let him share his WWII and Korea stories than to have you work around his house. He wants to share his stories of fight and survival, a man who loves God. He is a man that lost his wife of 64 years and began writing to ease his his pain. He is on his third book of poems. Poems that reflect his loves, his passion and his life.
All the days ordained for us were written in God's book before they came to be. Only God knows if there will really be another day however, this is a man who continues to believe that there will always be "another day" to pack, today is for living not packing.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in your secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. Psalm 139:15-16
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