My friend, may I ask you a question? Do you in retrospect wonder if the day will come why you didn't say something and it's too late to make a difference? You may be all the wiser but, unfortunately, all the older?
My friend, life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day. I’m M. Clifford Brunner.
One thing that I've reluctantly learned about being a father is that by the time you're experienced, you're unemployable. All of my children are adults now and grand kids are now part of my life. It's kind of strange how you keep on learning new things about parenting even as a grandfather. Problem is, it's stuff that could have come in handy a decade or two ago. I guess that's why, when as a father you have an opportunity to teach, guide or direct you need to take it. The day will come when, in retrospect you wonder, why you didn't and it's too late to make a difference. You may be all the wiser but, unfortunately, all the older.
Here's a story: One evening the day before bass season opened, a little boy and his father were fishing. Suddenly the lit- tle boy's pole doubled over, and he knew something huge was on the other end. He skillfully worked the fish along side the dock and gingerly lifted the exhausted fish from the water. It was the largest one he had ever seen, but it was a bass. The father lit a match and looked at his watch. It was 10 p.m., two hours before the season opened. "You'll have to put it back, Son," he said. "Dad!" cried the boy. "There will be another fish," said his father. "Not as big as this one," cried the boy. He looked around the lake. No other fishermen or boats were around in the moonlight. Even though no one had seen them, nor could anyone ever know what time he caught the fish, the boy could tell his father's decision was not negotiable and he lowered it into the black water. That was 34 years ago. Today, the boy is a successful architect in New York City. His father's cabin is still there on the island in the middle of the lake. He takes his own son and daughters fishing from the same dock. He has never again caught such a magnificent fish as the one he landed that night long ago. But he does see that same fish, again and again; every time he comes up against a question of right or wrong. (Author Unknown)
The decision to do right lives fresh and fragrant in our memory. It is a story we will proudly tell our friends and our grandchildren. Not about how we had a chance to beat the system and took it, but about how we did the right thing and were forever strengthened. A Bible Proverb instructs: "Listen to your father, who gave you life . . . (Proverbs 23:22)." Dads, give your children a life that is fragrant to remember; memories they will go back to time after time when face with making right or wrong decisions. Teach them to do the right thing even when the wrong thing is easier. Thank God for fathers who learn this before their children are grown and gone. Hindsight is a bitter pill to swallow when our chil- dren have no fresh and fragrant memories as this to hold on to.
"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matt 6:34)
We pray. Heavenly Father, hindsight is 20/20, and we are pleased when we are able to look back upon our role as parents and observe that we did the right thing, but so often Lord we look back only to discover that because of something we didn’t say or do, our children made mistakes they didn’t need to make. Forgive us Lord for the words we didn’t say, the touches we didn’t make and the time we didn’t spend. Help us to remember day by day that today is the moment In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
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<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.