A friend, now passed, told the story of what initially seemed a miraculous gift changing with time to be seen a toxic turn and how the toxic turn in the long run turned into a unique opportunity to rediscover God. Each turn was very different than he initially understood it to be. In the fuller story seen by looking backwards near the end of his life, a step to an outcome that went far beyond anything he imagined. As he related the story, you could feel the humbleness and awe that remained within him in the reflection.
In the years since his passing, the last time we spoke of this has stayed with me. At the time I was aware of the story. Others had shared it with me and I had heard large portions of the story as I listened to him in public events. In our conversation there were two takeaways that etched his words into my sense of identity.
First was an awareness that I was speaking with one who had a Divine relationship. He had walked with a higher power. He had journeyed through the highs and lows of life, from cancer through chemotherapy, despair to peace, running to being. Second was his view nearer the end than the beginning; life was never defined by an event; it is always about what one did with the moment right now.
I recently took time out to celebrate another’s birthday. Even now I realize it was a time of restoration I needed in my life. While it was good to celebrate and look to the future, for me it was a moment of healing and rejuvenation.
In the anxiety that is today, in the chaos and uncertainty all around me, it is good to remember that “God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love.” (Psalm 103.8) The question is simple and direct; with what is now, my choice will be? Answers are pivot points in your life as is mine. I hope we choose wisely and well.
