My father, J. Landis Weaver

On Sunday, November 20, 2005, I will finish up my 5-week course on the Gospel of Matthew, using the book "Seeds of Heaven" by Barbara Brown Taylor. The last chapter, "The Clouds of Heaven," is based on Matthew 24, where the 1st Evangelist talks about end times. In this chapter he deals with those who are so involved with the idea that the return of Christ is imminent, that they neglect the things they should be about. He also deals with those who have become apathetic because 20 years have gone by and the end has not come. Wow! How about 2000 years.

Taylor concludes that we should be living in the present rather than concentrating on regrets of years past or always looking forward to events in the future. I thought about some of the things that my dad used to say when he was still living.

Regarding the past, when I would worry about things that occurred that I could no longer change, he would say to me, "Jay, one hundred years from now it won't make any difference." Likewise, when I was wishing for some future event to occur, he would say, "Jay, you're wishing your life away." I try very hard to incorporate both pieces of advice in my living today.

However, he had a hard time living up to these ideas himself. So many times after dinner in the evening, he would lie down on the sofa, emit a sigh, and say, "Well, I guess I'll catch up on my worrying." He worried about the past and he worried about the future. For him, it was a lot easier to give advice to others than to follow it himself. I cannot fault him for that, for I think that is true of all of us.

Dad, like you I am full of anxieties and fears, but perhaps I can deal with them a little better than you did, because of some good advice I picked up from you along the way. I would guess that one hundred years from now, the advice we leave for others, just might multiply and make a difference. There is no longer a great deal of my life to wish away, so I will try to live in the present. I will try not to long for a future time, and I will try not to worry about future events that I cannot control. Thanks, Dad.