In The Midst Of Everyday Beauty
Life Is Amazing
The clouds dissipate
and the warm sun shines down and once again it's time
to get a tan at 11:00 PM. Oh the wonder and mystery
of my Father's awesome love. Full circle and it all
becomes clear. Twenty years ago I went to an airport
in the far north city of Anchorage to see a friend
off, looking down the boarding ramp to the flight
as long as I could until I couldn't see him any more.
It was a year before my mother died and almost ten
years after my father died but all in all it was a
chance to face the fact that turning to my mom was
over. We had faced some pretty intense challenges
in Alaska during the short time John had for a visit
but it all ended with the words to a song in my head
called "Friends." However, just a week ago
after so many years the tables were turned and it
was John seeing me off at the airport; there was no
warm goodbye or looking back to wave so long. My many
things I brought for a planned stay for three months
was hurriedly placed on carts and suddenly John vanished
in his beautiful blue jeep.
What happened in the twenty intervening
years to suddenly bring us together like two segments
of a nuclear bomb to end up being blown apart without
recognition? Perhaps solid friendships are made of
the stuff that keep people close over the years and
not planned events based on beautiful pictures of
something I knew there was only 21% chance of seeing
and nothing about the mysterious 78% that was to be
in a city with 1.2 million people. I simply know that
living in his house all day and night from Monday
to Friday was too difficult especially when I knew
I had to get work somehow but this was illegal because
I wasn’t in the US during my visit. I would
like to say that much of it was based on faith but
now it seems much of it was based on foolishness because
of how everything ended. I miss my friend who couldn’t
see that I had to go to work quickly and I did have
a wife who waited to hear the good news of my business
progress under my friend’s expert guidance.
Today is June 15 and it has almost been
a week since I last saw John. Realizing that I was
able to visit John for about as long as he visited
me was gratifying; however the memory of my recent
departure at the airport was as curt as his recent
e-mail informing me to stop forwarding mail to his
office. Twenty-six years or half a life time of a
friendship seems to suddenly be gone. What happened?
I recently visited him for about as long as he did
in 1989 with hopeful expectations of a longer visit
but the reality of needing to return to employment
and love and responsibility for my wife made the visit
as long as his first visit to Alaska.
I know that my heart is at peace and
my Father is still directing; I think this matter
may be the main watershed in our life time apart.
I can no longer run to my mom when things get tough
and without a family in the west, I have been blessed
with a family from the East who have been waiting
for me to recognize that they are still here for me,
still waiting to meet me at the airport and more importantly,
waiting for me to open my arms to the greater Eastern
family who has been eager for me to open the doors
so they can come in and take the misery out of the
lives of the poor people of the west.
It was important for me to see my friend
John and finally look into his eyes at the hot spring
to see where he was after all these years. Our time
together was wonderful and I have no regrets; it was
an awesome privilege to meet my friend after so long
a time; however in truth my friend John only met half
of me as my wife and I didn't make this trip together.
This trip accomplished something that my wise friend
counselled and that was the time there would end until
it was made clear what our Father had for us to learn;
that lesson to learn had to do with Love, the most
important kind being from heaven and the second most
important being for your spouse. I'm still married
and though life across cultures has not been easy
with many dragons there be to slay, my visit with
John was wonderful and I have no regret for our days
together.
In my heart the friendship goes on in
memories and hopes but I thought about the song we
had remembered which says, "Friends and friends
forever IF the Lord is the Lord of them." I feel
closer to my Father now that I obeyed Him but feel
as though I have lost my friend. I shall not worry
because during the short stay we shared two very important
things, Praying together and the power of the Sun's
Light. I know we met in the former time of prayer
but as two brothers who enjoys the presence and conversation
of God in nature, I think gazing comfortably into
the Light of the Son is somewhat of a mystery; I don't
understand but I sure am thankful for the clarity
of vision and spirit it brings with tears to my eyes.
The day is sunny and warm. The river
is next to the apartment. The midnight sun circles
in the sky and I think it's time for a good run on
the trail next to the river. The simple photo above
comes from the digital SLR camera gift that John gave
me. I hope in my heart that as the Word says, “We
should give without expectation of receiving”
but maybe there is a sense of regret. I will honour
his request. I went to be with him in a special way
but I don’t think he understands. On June 9
something happened and he remembers the time his father
died. John thinks he dropped me off at the airport
but I know I AM now with him in the quiet of the summits
to scramble. I knew it was time for me to go and be
with the Father we love so much.
∞
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