Time Lines

This was meant for yesterday... but I just didn't have time to pen it down. So, here it is, the overdue post.  Yesterday, dad took me to get some official documentations done for my own survival. (If i tell you what it is, I'll have to kill you...) So it was kinda cool... but a bit weird for me cos me and dad aren't the talking sort. He's the stern father and I'm the, well, daughter of a chinese family, with an older brother... you get the drift. Cafes, pam and dad don't go well together. So, we did the errand and I decided to be brave and ask dad to take a coffee-break with me since I haven't eaten lunch and we went to Coffee Club to grab a bite and a drink.

Silence... coffee machine grinding... clinking utensils.... loud business man.... foreign waitress trying to speak English... silence...

Food came and then the talking started. At first, it felt kinda strange. It was strange to hear dad 'talk' to me... as in the 'chatting-voice' dad. I didn't recognise that voice, but it felt good to hear it. It sounded gentle, comfortable, nice... like my coffee did. 

Dad talked about his experiences in missions, his thoughts, his feelings... things you don't tell your daughter... but it was nice to be chomping down alfredo pasta, sipping coffee and listening to this new voice. As he spoke, I was looking at dad's face and it suddenly hit me: dad's getting really old. I don't say this with distaste or humour. It's true. Written on this face before me were years of life's hard knocks and sweet moments. I never realised it before, but on the lines of dad's face was an experience, an encounter, someone, a tragedy, a comedy.  

Dad was growing older... so am I. And I realised that I haven't taken time to appreciate fully the face before me. There isn't much time.

The time line is getting shorter.

I think I've missed dad for far too long... and it's probably time to redeem what's been lost.

I wonder if that's how we are with God (no matter that He's ETERNAL). 

Maybe we need coffee moments with God too, like me with dad.