Mark Bishop
Singing News Article
October 2006
Well it seems like another summer has
gotten away from us. We've asked it a million times but, where
does the time go? It seems like Carolyn and I just got the flowers
in the ground! I guess I have always believed that time passes in
relation to how busy you keep yourself. This summer, along with
the singing and traveling that is always busiest in the summer, we
took on some ambitious projects around the house. Couple that with
Courtney (my 15 year old daughter) and her softball games
throughout the summer, and we hardly took time to enjoy those
flowers we took great care to plant.
We all have so much to do. Yet God has only given us a finite
amount of time to get it done. It forces us to become better at
time management. But sometimes, the more efficient we become at
managing our time, the less we get to enjoy the simple pleasures
around us. That wouldn't be so bad for me but for the fact that I
am constantly aware of it. My kids are growing so fast right
before my very eyes and, even though I am aware of it, that
doesn't slow them down. Sometimes I feel like someone hit the
fast-forward button on my life. I'm desperately searching for the
"pause" button but I can't find it.
One day this summer, I woke up and was resolute that all of my
"important obligations" would not keep me from enjoying the day. I
spent a couple of hours in the office, doing what needed to be
done but then, when Haley (my 7 year old daughter) came into the
office and acted bored, I seized the moment!
We grabbed a pail and headed outside to the blackberry bushes.
Just me and her and the sounds of nature. No cell phone on my
belt. No e-mails to return. Just the sounds of her voice, which
blended nicely with the sounds of the birds singing and the breeze
that moved through the tops of the trees. I had found the "pause"
button.
By late morning, the sun was really warming things up. I don't
know what that bug is that makes that long grinding, chirping
noise, but whenever I hear it, it seems that much hotter outside.
I cut us a path deep into the heart of the blackberry bushes. It
opened up into an area that was obviously untouched my man or
beast. It revealed a cornucopia of blackberry picking. Huge
berries... plump and ripe. I exclaimed to Haley, "We have just
found blackberry heaven!" We set about filling our pail and nearly
topped it off in this one spot. After picking berries for a while,
Haley looked over at me and asked "Is this really blackberry
heaven dad?" I said "Yep... this is it."
On our way out, we caught a June bug and after procuring some
thread from Carolyn's sewing drawer, I proceeded to show Haley how
we used to play before Nintendo and PlayStation games came along.
Her eyes became as big as silver dollars when she watched that
June bug fly around in long, wide circles around the yard. I have
to admit, for a little while, I became a little person no older
than her. My mind went back to when I was transfixed by a June bug
on a string and the joy of accidentally discovering a beautiful
place where apparently all blackberries go when they die. All my
cares and all my deadlines are out of my head and they're up there
where they belong, flying around in lazy circles at the end of a
string. I can't hear the phone ring. I only hear the sound of
summer chirping and the giggles of a little seven year old girl
and the buzzing of a June bug that can't understand what all the
laughing is about.
For the next few weeks, Haley would tell everyone that we found
blackberry heaven. And she was right.
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