Time

This Christmas, I got a great present from my father.

Which sounds strange, since Dad passed away from Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS) several years ago... Let me explain.

First, some background. Last year, the cheapie $1 Timex watch I bought at Goodwill finally gave out. The little LCD numbers would fade in and out, and eventually were more "out" than "in", to the point where I couldn't see any numbers at all. Time for a new watch.

Now, I've always been a bit of a "frugal shopper" when it comes to watches: $25 for a Timex LCD at Walmart, and I'm good to go for the next few years. But recently, a guy I work with introduced me to the concept of "automatic" watches. Automatic watches don't use batteries like quartz watches, and they don't require winding either like antique watches did. Instead, they have a tiny little rotating weight in them which winds the watch "automatically" as your arm moves back and forth during the day. Cool, huh?

So, this fall, I bought a beautiful Seiko 5 automatic watch from a guy in Singapore off of eBay. It has been great -- stainless steel case, deep blue dial, glow in the dark hands and markers, etc. And this has led to an interest in older, non-quartz watches.

Fast-forward a few months. Christmas 2007, and I'm up in Virginia visiting my Mom. I seemed to recall that my Dad had a couple older wristwatches, so I asked her if she had kept any. She looked in his bureau, and found an old gold wristwatch buried under a bunch of stuff. It wasn't running, and I asked her if I could restore it and wear it. She said I could have it, so I brought it home.

After a bit of research, here's what I found. The watch is a swiss Wittnauer automatic from the late '50s or early '60s, with a 10k gold-filled case. It was made by the Longines-Wittnauer company, which is a well-respected make in watch collector circles. These watches were well-designed, and should run for many years without much maintenance...

Looking at the whole situation, I'm not quite sure where my recent interest in watches has come from. I do know that in 2007, more than ever before, I have become acutely aware of the rapid passage of time. The boys are grown, I'm getting a few gray hairs, the possibility of grandchildren exists in the not-too-far future, and I'm praying about what God has in store for me in the next phase of my life.

Ephesians 5:15-16 says, "See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil." It is my desire to use my time more wisely, to use the gift of time for God's glory.

So, I hope that soon, Dad's fine Swiss watch will be repaired, restored, and worn proudly on my wrist. I hope that every time I glance at it, it will remind me of my Dad, who I miss.

But more importantly, I hope that God will use it as a regular reminder that each day is a gift from Him, to be used wisely for His purposes.