"Live As So To Be Missed"

My father underwent major surgery two weeks after Memorial Day. The surgery itself was not unexpected, but the timing was. We had just visited, and then my dad was hospitalized and operated on. We did not have a chance to visit again before his procedure.

As Dad faced serious surgery, I reflected back on our last interactions. He gave me a pep talk about life Saturday afternoon. He told me that my work mattered. He encouraged me to make my home a safe place. He exhorted me to honor and respect my husband and listen to what my husband says. In the moment, I was not fully listening, as I was struggling to fully believe what he said. I wish now that I would have recorded it, though. He was giving me encouragement and wise counselor, and I value it.

The day/meal before we left, Dad hurried us away from the table, asking him to let him clear the table. It was his "job," he said, and we needed to leave. He was correct that we needed to leave to get back home, but we could have taken our plates to the sink. Instead, he served us by doing that task.

My dad texted our family a quip from his mom shortly before surgery. He said, "Live as so to be missed." I hoped that was not his last words to us, and thankfully, they weren't, but it told me how my dad wanted to live his life.

As I reflect with gratitude on still having my dad this Father's Day, I am interpreting Dad's words a little differently. Following his example, I want to learn to live more in the moment, not to miss the moments of life we are given. I was not fully present the last time I talked at length with my dad before surgery. That next conversation was not guaranteed. Really nothing about life is guaranteed.

Dad, I am thankful that you are still with us, and we will miss you terribly when the Lord says it is your time to go. You do live in a way that encourages us, challenges us, and points us to Jesus. Thank you! We love you!