March 6, 2024
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My Dad was many things – a husband, father, medical doctor and an expert gardener. I grew up in a world of beauty that I did not fully appreciate at the time, but have come to cherish and long for over the years.
Our house and yard on Olympia Drive were full of plants and statues. To get to my room, I walked through an indoor greenhouse filled with orchids. While I tended to the lawn, Dad lovingly took care of the gardens. We moved into that house when I was an infant and Mom and Dad lived in it for over 50 years. After I left home for college, my parents’ house continued to be a refuge, a sanctuary for me to return to from my wanderings over many years.
After Mom and Dad died, I held on to some of the statues. One was an angel cast from concrete, about 2 ½ feet high with outstretched wings. Dad probably bought it at Cornelius or Bering’s and I’m sure he didn’t pay much for it.
One day Susan and I were unloading as we moved into a new house. One of the movers dropped the angel on the driveway and broke its wing. As I witnessed this, I began crying, sobbing uncontrollably. I had no idea what was happening. And I wasn’t just weeping, I was wailing, overcome with inexplicable sorrow. The poor guy who had accidently dropped it was startled … Susan was surprised … I was rattled!
Dad probably paid less than $10 for that statue but, in that moment, I realized the profound emotional attachment I held for Dad’s concrete angel. It stood at a prominent position in our backyard. It was present for so many activities and a witness to so much love and so many great memories, many of family and friends who have gone on. Its broken wing unleashed a flood of unspoken grief within me that I obviously needed to let go.
Among our accumulated possessions, there are certain keepsakes that refuse to be discarded. Some have meaning that I cannot verbally express. I couldn’t explain to Susan why I held on to that angel for all those years. Actually, I couldn’t explain it to myself. Ultimately, I found out why and I’m thankful that I did not toss it sometime and somewhere along the way.
I have other possessions, keepsakes that I just can’t let go of and fortunately, Susan has been okay with that. I have given up trying to explain why. Perhaps someday I’ll remember the stories and the feelings behind those keepsakes, and I’ll be thankful that I kept them.
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, keep the things that are important to you even if you don't know why!
QUESTION
Do you have keepsakes that defy explanation that you just can't let go of?
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, please grant us the wisdom to cherish the keepsakes that hold meaning beyond words. May they serve as reminders of the bonds of family that endure forever.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
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