Mark Bishop
Singing News Article
November 2006
There are many, many things in life
that bring me joy and happiness. The time that I spend with my
wife and kids is perhaps the greatest. I also enjoy some quiet
time. It's during these times that the Lord is most likely to
inspire in me a new song to be written. Some other things that
bring me happiness are backyard barbecues with friends and family,
quiet evenings on a front porch swing and getting a goodnight kiss
from my two girls before they go to bed. I also enjoy when I find
myself at home on a Sunday, and I get to go to church with my
family. It's such a normal thing to do but I don't take it for
granted because I don't get to do it as often as I'd like.
It's easy to take things for granted when it seems like they'll
always be there. Most likely, there is some daily task or routine
that you never even think about but if it were suddenly gone, you
would really miss it. It might seem boring and mundane but the
fact is, it is in some way fulfilling. I try really hard to "smell
the flowers" along the way. Sometimes I get so busy that I know I
don't do a good job of it. I keep promising myself to slow down
just enough to enjoy things more. It seems though that the time
just gets away from us.
One thing I don't enjoy doing is flipping the pages over on the
calendar. Every month it is a reminder to me that time is not
waiting for me to get my priorities right. The days and the weeks
move right along without notice of my feeble struggles. Regardless
of what I did or did not accomplish, when it is time for the
calendar to be turned, it is time and that is that.
In my office I have two calendars. The one that hangs on the wall,
my bank gives me each year. It has a different vintage car for
each month. This month I have been looking at a 1946 Ford Deluxe
Tudor. It says that the original price was $1,260.00 That is
definitely something that has changed. The other one is a desk
calendar that sits next to the computer. The Singing News sends it
to me every year. This one, you have to rip the page off the top.
I don't think my kids ever flip or rip the pages of any of the
calendars in our house. They seem to be oblivious to their
existence. I suppose this is the way that it should be. They flit
from here to there like butterflies, never mindful of how they
spend their time. it is an unending resource for them. Why look at
the clock or the calendar when we have all the time we need to do
all the fun things we want to do.
Of course, time will eventually sweep them up into the current and
they will one day be mindful of how fleeting it is. But as for
now, I am glad for them. I want them to enjoy their time without
being mindful of it. That is a perk available only to childhood.
That is, until we get to the other side and then.. tada! Time will
once again become irrelevant to us. Just one more thing to look
forward to. No more calendar pages to turn.
So in this, the season of Thanksgiving, let's make one more
valiant effort to slow down just enough to enjoy the ride. I am
truly thankful for the love of my family and for our good health.
I am blessed to be able to enjoy the sounds of children's laughter
and to hold my wife's hand. I am grateful for those nights talking
around the dinner table and sharing the days events. Thank you
Lord for the incredible beauty of the colorful leaves on the trees
and the brisk coolness in the air that lets you know that you're
alive. But most of all Lord, thank you for making a way that men
and women could one day bridge that gap between earth and heaven.
It's going to be good to never, ever have to flip another calendar
page again. Amen.
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