Hebrews 12:2-3 (NIV)
2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of
faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and
sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured
such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
A man explains to his young grandson why people view time
differently.
"I'm bored!" The young child said.
"Bored? Why are you bored?" Grandpa asked.
"The day is dragging by," the child replied.
"I can't believe how slow the time is moving. I want to go on vacation to
the shore and that's not until August."
"Time for me is moving too fast. It seems like just
yesterday your daddy was your age. Now he's grown with his own child," the
old man said. "Grandpa, how can time move slow for me and fast for
you?" The old man sat up in his chair, reached into his pocket, and pulled
out his pocket watch. It was a classic engraved timepiece, a gold one that
would catch the fancy of any young child. "Grandpa, that's awesome!"
The young boy said.
"Awesome, indeed!" He said. Then leaning toward
the child he whispered, "And it's magical."
"Magical? What can it do?" The child asked.
Grandpa smiled and said, "Put things into
perspective!"
"What? What’s per..spek...tuv?"
"Perspective." He said correcting him.
"Look." The old man leaned closer to the child. "Watch the
hands. In particular watch the second hand." The two of them sat nearly
head to head watching the hand clicking off the seconds.
"What's it doing?" The child asked.
"One, two, three, four, five, six...." the old
man counted. "Now, you hold it." The old man carefully placed the
watch in his hand. To a child his age, it was like holding a golden toy, one of
those forbidden "things he should never touch." "Tell me what
you see," Grandpa said.
The child, trying as hard as he could to see the magic,
the "per...spek...tuv," stopped looking in frustration.
"Grandpa, I don’t see anything," he said.
"Look again, count the clicks," he urged the
child.
"One, two, three, four, five...."
"Keep going," Grandpa said.
"Six, seven, eight, nine, ten..."
"Don't stop!"
"This is boring!" The young child said.
"It's moving too fast," Grandpa said.
"It's not," the child told him. "It's the
same as when you counted it."
The old man sat up and smiled.
"Exactly."
The young boy looked at him for a few seconds, then back
down at the watch. "I don't get it," he said.
"Because I am older, I see the hand on the watch
sweeping past the numbers. Because you are young, you see them clicking slowly
by. Time is how you see it, how much you value it, how long you've lived it.
You see all the time in the world. I want to see all the world in the time I
have left."
"But it's the same time," said the boy.
"Perpective," the grandfather said as he
reached over to hug the child.
It would be a few years later, long after that moment was
forgotten by the young child, that the old man passed away. Sitting at home
with his parents after the funeral that day, the boy, now in his early teens,
sat quietly at the dinner table.
His father walked in and placed a small box in front of
him.
"What's this?" He asked.
"Grandpa told me to give this to you."
A chill washed over the young man as he sat up and held
the small box.
"He said you would appreciate it. He said it was
magical," his mother added.
Now fumbling nervously to open the box, he unwrapped the
faded white tissue paper.
"Oh, Pop," he whispered.
"Open it up," Dad urged.
It all came rushing back to him. There on the inside
cover he discovered an engraving that hadn’t been there before.
"Do you understand what it means, because I
don't," said his dad.
"Per...spek...tuv," he read.
Tears that little boys shed and young men won't
acknowledge slipped slowly down his cheeks.
"Come here, Dad. Sit next to me and I'll show you
the magic."
Time passes, but love never dies.
Dear Lord, help us keep the things in life in
perspective. Help us not forget the important
things. Help us to always take the time to show love. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
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