Seeing the Signs

Six years ago this past week I lost my job.

By the time the call came, I had cleared my desk of all my personal stuff, taking a few things home each day until all I had to carry back and forth was my briefcase and my coat.  I had seen the signs and knew the day was coming when I would get the call.

'From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near. - Matthew 24:32

One thing I can claim to be these days that I wasn't before is aware of slight changes.  Before, the days flew by in a blur, one no different than another, my thoughts and focus on the details of projects and meetings with little time to stop and take a look around.

The goal was the main point of focus.  It was where my sight was set.  Anything that happened around me could be dealt with later.

I don't look at things that way anymore.

Maybe it is a sign of age.  Or maybe I am just paying more attention to the encounters in my life, those moments with friends and family that quietly request my attention, so quietly that they can seem silent.

We have a calendar in our kitchen that we treasure.  A new one arrives at this time each year and it is possibly our favorite Christmas gift because each month is adorned with a photo of our grandsons.

Occasionally, one of the photos will include us posed with them and while we look the same from year to year, the changes in the boys are much more dramatic.  And now, it seems they are growing even more rapidly, shooting up through adolescence on their way to manhood.

I can't help but wonder how many more calendars I will enjoy receiving.

Some may think it morbid to talk about the inevitable, but isn't it foolish to ignore the changes?

I thought about my dad the other day as I was driving in the car.  I imagined sitting with him and having a talk.  I could see him smile, his eyes glistening and the black curl of his hair falling between them, and I realized the man I envisioned was five years younger than I am now.

All the photos I have of him capture moments that are frozen in time, unchanging, without aging.

Talking with Dad would be like sitting down with a younger brother.

During his last year, he changed drastically, declining quickly into poor health before my eyes.  It was hard not to notice.  I looked for every sign, sought every possible path of understanding, knowing there was no cure or hope of one.

So many years later, I am still looking for signs when I hear of friends who are battling one condition or another.  I know, we all know, the final outcome for all of us, but we pray that for now, the danger will pass and all will be back to normal.

Jesus told his followers to pay attention  to the signs.  Stop ignoring them or pretending they aren't there.

So many of us take photos with a variety of mobile devices.  We capture those moments we cherish and share them with each other.  We put them on virtual walls and post them where we can gaze on them and remember the moment, the people, the place.

Before the day comes when we can no longer add to the wall, we should take the time to visit, call, be present with those we love and those we can come to love.  The time may be shorter than we think, and there are so many things worth doing, being and sharing.

More to come...