In a recent daily devotional I read these words penned by Bill Crowder… “Though we measure time with clocks and calendars, we remember times because of events. In the moments of life that trigger our deepest emotions, we can experience joy, loss, blessing, pain, success, failure.” Wow … that got me thinking about those defining moments in my life that have shaped my life perspective.
I think we have all heard the story about being drugged as a kid…and yes, I was one of those kids. I was drugged to Sunday school and church every Sunday morning and Sunday evening, every Wednesday evening, and for any and all church-related functions in between including Vacation Bible School and the New Year’s Eve watch service. I formally accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior at our church summer camp when I was in middle school. I can still hear the sounds of that very service and hear Pastor Cook’s message to this day. However, the journey hasn’t been smooth and I have certainly made my fair share of mistakes along the way. I can finally accept that that’s okay because those very mistakes are what have helped me grow and change for the better.
One of my favorite songs is by Patty Lovelace entitled “How Can I Help You Say Goodbye” and is told from the perspective of a woman recollecting events in her life that illustrate how people grow and change and I can truly relate to this perspective. I am not the same person now that I was 30, 20, 10 or even five years ago. And that’s okay.
Some life-defining moments include some things that may seem trivial to others but not to me. For example, I remember seeing a classmate break her arm in gym class on a scooter relay. Her pain became mine and etched a memory I have never forgotten. This has helped me to “feel” the pain of others. I remember participating in paper drive collections in elementary school and this helped me to understand the importance of conserving our natural resources and this has translated now into the importance of recycling in today’s world.
I remember the day in third grade when I went to the courthouse in downtown Cleveland with my parents to be formally adopted and this reinforced in me the importance of family and the need for acceptance of folks who are different from me. With seven kids and six of us classified as “hard to place” adoptive kids, well, we were different but we didn’t realize it at the time. This now helps me now to understand that every person is a unique and special child of God. This has reinforced in the last ten years the importance of being pro-life. I do not judge others if they disagree with me because that’s not my job. It’s okay to respectfully disagree with others. It sure would be boring if everyone agreed with everyone on everything all the time.
Daily chores were expected and the completion of them wasn't optional. This instilled in me the importance of routine and responsibility without the expectation of praise and reward. I now realize this was a life lesson in building character and probably one of the most important life lessons ever.
I remember the day my grandmother died. I was at the skating rink skating to Love Grows by Edison Lighthouse when I got the message to come home right away. Back in those days, caskets were placed in the family homes and people came to the home to pay their final respects. That’s when I learned about death and that it’s a normal part of the life cycle. It was painful at the time because I knew I could always sneak down the street to grandmother’s house and sample grandfather’s diabetic cobbler or a cold potato she always kept in the icebox for a quick snack. It wasn’t long after that that we moved to a different house and grandfather moved in with us. This ingrained the importance of taking care of family when life’s circumstances change.
I vividly remember the day my aunt and uncle were involved in a horrific car accident that changed their lives forever. This made me acutely aware of how fragile life is and how one split second can alter a person’s life forever.
I could go on with a few more examples but I think my point is clear. As Patty Lovelace sang … “Life’s about changing, nothing ever stays the same.” But you know what? That’s okay.
