For two years in high school, when I went home, I knew there would be a stock of bananas ripening in the shower room. The trip from Singapore to Bangalore finished with an experience of taking a shower to freshen up and enjoying one or two bananas that were just ripe at the same time. It was a small reference point I shared with the members of my family and a few guests who visited during this period. We never really talked about it. However, in random conversations, the subject would somehow fit, and I knew there would be smiles and a quiet shared laugh at the memory etched across our lives.
I walked through a grocery store. The unexpected section of Indian produce, including bananas, returned me to that place. In my mind, I replayed the memories shared with my now-passed parents. I could hear Mom’s voice, reminding me of the reasons for her never-ending disappointment that a banana rarely made it to the breakfast table.
I wake up today wondering what is etched in my life. Life whispers reminders of experiences and beliefs carved deep into my heart and soul.
I see a call to service. I appreciate the amazing range and variety of calls within the people I meet. My curiosity in this space is rarely quenched. I am often unaware of the depth of voice calling me to serve within my mind, heart, and being. I rediscover its existence with my sense of purpose and intent. Learning about the call others have is an invitation to friendship and trust.
Consistency and depth of purpose are shared by experience and conviction. I may run away from what I know to be true, only to realise that I have brought the etchings with me. I hear the echo of an old observation of how s/he was a “priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek.” (Hebrews 7.17)
The past is a foundation for learning and growth. Beyond that, it is history. Today is a time of new experiences, writing, and telling an untold story.
