The Gift of Keeping Watch


Most mornings I rarely sleep past five. But on this particular Christmas morning, I was awake even earlier because I wanted to be ready to help make breakfast and all the work that comes with a family crowd. It had been a few years since our family had traveled to spend Christmas with the folks and the rest of the family. 

The stillness of the hour was noted by the steady ticking of the grandfather’s clock. I sat on the couch and looked across the frozen landscape outside.

 


I heard footsteps approaching and it was my father-in-law, Conward. He was also an early riser—as well as one willing to stay up late if someone needed to talk. 

 

I motioned for him to come in and he sat across from me in his comfy recliner. We chatted softly so we wouldn’t wake my daughter and her family, and the others. I think we both saw the specialness of the hour, a chance for a quiet start to Christmas.

 

Other family members would be arriving later, and the house would soon be packed. The people-volume would be turned up, and these still moments would be a memory.

 

So, we savored it.

 

“What does this day hold for you?” Conward asked.

 

I knew he wasn’t asking about the day’s activities or the rambunctious games that would be part of the evening. It was much deeper than that.

 

 “It seems like I always get too focused on making sure people are fed, dishes are done, and we’re not tripping over discarded ribbon and wrapping paper.”

 

Conward nodded.

 

I continued, “I know one day I’ll probably look back and realize I missed conversations I could have had.”

 

With his signature humor, he patted the arm of the recliner and said, “I do my share of work too—right from here. I am working at keeping watch.” 

 

I smiled. 

 

He advised, “Make time to watch your kids and grandkids. Each year will be a bit different. If you watch, you’ll see it. Eventually, you’ll be like me, keeping watch from a recliner.”


 

Neither of us knew this would be our final Christmas celebrated with all the family gathered. God knew it though, and He had me “take a few moments to watch” so I could savor it years later. The gift of keeping watch is another legacy left behind for me to carry forward. And I am.




Long ago, shepherds were keeping watch over their flocks and they were blessed to be the first to receive the wonderful news of their Savior’s birth. Merry Christmas, my friends.


“Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” Luke 2:14


Popular posts from this blog

Dreaming the Dream

Image
Dreaming big dreams about the future is easy for kids. The only thing standing in the way is time.  Kid’s dreams are not about skills, or opportunities, or even practicality. Those things come much later.  My grandson hopes to be professional soccer player when he grows up. This week, a small piece of his dream came true when his Boys and Girls Club was invited to participate in pre-game activities with the Seattle Sounders Football Club.  He got to suit up in a real jersey and walk on the field with a real pro player. Imagine a young soccer player looking up to who he hopes to be one day. If you haven’t taken the time to talk to a child about their future dreams—you should.  They believe. As we get older we sometimes forget that dreams fuel our hopes—and that's something we all need. So, do you still dream? Or have you left those childhood thoughts behind?  S pending time with children will  inspire you to believe agai
Read more

Wild or Tame? Which One Are You?

Image
Finally! Research that explains why I act the way I do. Columbia University’s Motivational Science Center studied people’s activities and what brought them the most happiness. Even more telling were how those activities changed as they aged. Twenty-somethings tend to equate happiness with high-energy activities. Words like excited and ecstatic are usually attached to spontaneous things—even risky things—and living life full throttle.  Researchers labeled this Promotion Motivation —the urge to take chances, including career moves that may not work out. Happiness comes from happenings—the more happenings, the more happiness. By age forty, adults associate happiness with things running smoothly at work and home. It’s also about feeling secure in relationships. Keeping healthy matters more too. This behavior is called Prevention Motivation —and people are more concerned with preserving and maintaining the things they value. It appears that time ofte
Read more

The Quiet Dad

Image
After my granddaughter’s gymnastics, she’d always ask to go to the park next door—even in the winter. When you’re a high energy child, cold is relative. Our routine seemed to overlap with a dad and his son. I’d watch them as I watched my granddaughter go through her favorite activities—crossbar, swings, spinner, and the curly slide.  But the dad was not doing the same. He’d go hand-in-hand with his boy—pointing to trees, clouds, and the texture of the grass. I could see they were in a different place—one of sights, smells, and feels.   His son didn’t speak, so the father spoke into the silence around them. Since it was winter, the park was quiet—just the four of us—an energetic girl, and a boy who experienced the park in a way I never had.   We were at the same place, but in different worlds.    I saw a father’s love for his son expressed in quiet words of exploration. Never once did his son use the swing or try the crossbars. His world was spent touching tree bark and looking a
Read more