“ those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it “ — Mark 8:35
I find myself drawn to these words about losing and saving as we mark over 500,000 deaths from Covid-19 in the United States. This year has been marked by so many different kinds of losses for our family and yours too.
As I was moving out of my church office some pictures fell out of one of my books. They were family photos from back when my parents were young. My Dad died over 35 years ago. It is so strange to be far older than he ever was. He taught me so much about losing and saving. He showed me how important it is to savor each moment of life and time together. We are all feeling this more than ever in this time of pandemic.
My dad’s name was John, a man of quiet faith. He loved to rise early each morning and drink coffee at the kitchen table while he did his morning devotions. He always said he loved to watch the world wake up.
One of our favorite things to do together was fish. He had a aquamarine fishing boat with a 40 horse Johnson outboard. We spent many hours on various lakes together, trolling for walleyes. He would always say to me, “Watch your line, watch your line, don’t get it caught in the prop”. He would smoke cigarettes while we fished, trolling backwards. The smell of gasoline, water and cigarette smoke still evokes powerful memories of him for me. Smoking would be his downfall. He died of lung cancer at 54, which seemed old back then, not so much anymore. The summer before he died, we did get out fishing one more time. His best friend Kurt arranged it which was no small feat as my Dad was in a wheelchair and required oxygen. Kurt was an incredible friend and man of deep faith. He truly worried at times about my dad’s soul. That afternoon they had a conversation out on the lake that I will always remember. Kurt asked my dad if he had been saved. My Dad answered quietly, “Each and every day Kurt, each and every day.”
May it be so for us each day as we lose ourselves in savoring life.
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