If I Could Save Time in a Bottle ...

When she first saw her Papaw lying there in the hospital, she put her index finger to her lips and admonished everyone to be quiet "cause Papaw is sleeping." She didn't understand the gravity of the circumstances, only that Papaw was trying to rest and we were making noise. Again, "quiet, Papaw sleeping." Lily Grace was simply acting on the innocence and faith that God granted her according to the richness of His words in Ephesians. She had no idea how profound her reaction was. It was simply love, not complicated, not complex, something she still has in abundance, not having experienced the worldly attacks on her faith that we all face at some time. Later, as Memaw was trying to tell Amanda what had happened and tears were filling her eyes, Lily would tell her "I love you, Memaw." Again, her words were nothing but what Jesus had given her to help her cope with a world guaranteed to disappoint. The littlest among us gets it. She understands the full range of our emotions from 'excited' to 'happy' to 'sad' to 'distraught.' She even understands 'confused,' a rather complex emotion that most adults don't even get. I don't know how, except that she is gifted by God to have this understanding at such an early age.


If I Could Save Time in a Bottle, the First Thing That I'd Like to Do
Is to Save Every Day Till Eternity Passes Away, Just to Spend Them With You
If I Could Make Days Last Forever, If Words Could Make Wishes Come True
I'd Save Every Day Like a Treasure and Then, Again I Would Spend Them With You
If I Had a Box Just for Wishes And Dreams That Had Never Come True
The Box Would Be Empty Except for the Memory of How They Were Answered By You
But There Never Seems to be Enough Time to Do the Things You Want to Do Once You Find Them
I've Looked Around Enough to Know That You're the One I Want to Go Through Time With

- Jim Croce

I've tried several times over the past few days to write this, but I simply have no words. And there's a good reason for writing it. The bottom line is this. If you have a mother, a father, a grandmother, or a grandfather that you can visit, stop reading this and go visit them. Tell them how much you love them at least once a day, because it's not part of God's plan that they will be here with you forever. If you are raising their grandchildren or great grandchildren, take them to visit at least once a week if possible. There is nothing so important to a grandparent as to see a smile on the face of their children's children. It's a positive confirmation of their contribution to God's plan and the future of their families. Please don't deny them the joy of seeing those little smiles as often as possible. I don't know why it took me so long to figure out this simplest, least complex of moments we can share.

It's funny how the littlest among us sometimes have the most understanding and most caring and loving approach to the important people and events in our lives. It is those same events that can sometimes work so hard at stealing our innocence and our faith away from us, turning us into cynical adults as we grow older. My confession is this, that in this area, I have left a lot to be desired. I simply got caught up in the daily activities of life (work, church, youth sports, ...) to the point that not enough time was spent with my Father. And now the Parkinson's disease he has battled so bravely for the past 10 years has claimed his life. Dad passed away on May 31st, Memorial Day. So again, the only reason for this post is to try to encourage others, who still have the opportunity, to spend as much time with their parents and grandparents as possible.


I gotta keep singing. I gotta keep praising Your name.
Cause that's the only way that I find healing.
Can I climb up in your lap, I don't want to leave.
Jesus sing over me. And I gotta keep singing.

- MercyMe


My Father left a legacy in Limestone County, in that he was known by nearly everyone as someone who had taught them or a friend or relative how to play guitar or bass or banjo. Our pastor put it nicely when he said that Dad decided early in life not to let the music stay within him, but rather to let it out. And let it out he did. He taught me to play guitar. His music encouraged Austin to play drums. Now we share that gift every Sunday morning during praise and worship at Isom's Chapel. And for that, I am thankful to him. My sister was led to sing in church through his encouragement and has a wonderful voice (even though we have to continually encourage her to hold the microphone close!). He taught my nephew, my cousin, and his brothers. He has former students that have performed and still perform in recording studios in Muscle Shoals and in Nashville, as studio musicians. He pioneered local music stores, including The Music Center, The Guitar Studio, GS Music, and Bama Recording.


Dad played music with Ray Sawyer before Ray became Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show. He managed several bands, including Dexter and the Derbies, a 70s group that included Dexter Greenhaw, who became one of the best band directors North Alabama has known until his own untimely death earlier this year. He has former students who now teach and have taught hundreds of students themselves. He has students who built guitars and other special instruments for Roy Clark and Glenn Campbell. One former student spent many Saturday evenings on the set of that old American iconic "Hee Haw," playing bass for the Hee Haw band. We even saw him in a few of the skits they would do on the show. Interestingly, this student recently called Dad after several years without contact, just to say that he was thinking about him. Dad even taught a blind man how to play the guitar. And Mr. Waddell became one of his best students. As long as I can remember, when people find out that Don Green was my father they would say "Oh, he taught me [or a relative or friend] how to play guitar, bass, or banjo."


But of all this, the greatest legacy Dad leaves behind is that he had given his life to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, in 2002. After a lengthy stay in the rehabilitation center in Huntsville, he and my sister had a long talk (and walk) with Jesus one night and the next day Dad called me and said "Get over here, I have something to tell you." He let me know not to worry about him anymore because he was saved! We prayed together and from that moment on, I knew that he would be OK, no matter what Parkinson's did to his body.

Each day I rise and I think about ... the things that I must do
My Father, the battle rages on
This world around me I've come to know in my failures replaces you
My Father, the battle rages on

I'm trying to do what's right oh Lord, but sometimes it seems so hard
The reasons for my actions are not clear
But when I close my eyes and I think about the things you've done for me
I realize the things I do help You bring lost ones near

So I put on my full armor God ... and I stand in defense of You
My Father, the battle rages on
But I know that with You by my side ... and with Your soldiers too
My Father, the Victory is won!

- Original



With Father's Day coming up, may I suggest that you take your Father to his favorite restaurant, buy him his favorite meal, then take him home and read Ephesians Chapter 2 to him. This is one of the most uplifting chapters, to me, in the entire Bible. This was the last thing I did with my Father, reading the entire book of Ephesians, even the verse that says "Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right." I think he smiled a little at that one! Oh, and don't forget to get your father something really cool for Father's Day. Don't make it a tie or or new pair of pants or some other clothing item, make it something personal that creates a memory that lasts beyond the gift. Something that he'll think about for years to come. Or maybe you just want to sit and talk with him for a while.


Happy Fathers Day Dad. We Love You and Miss You,
Jerry, Connie, Austin, and Lily Grace