The tarmac I was standing on could have been anywhere. The parking lot and nearby road were eerily silent. Nothing was moving. I expected an opportunity to reflect silently. Instead, the tarmac carried on a relentless conversation that I was not sure I wanted to have in the moment. I listened to echoes of my fears, uncertainties, and doubts. I saw the scars left by the past that were healed, visible when I was willing to look within my heart and soul. My path and the ground I walked revealed the past, leaving me with lessons for the present.
Life’s gifts are best understood with hindsight. In the darkest moments, I often assume everything has been lost. With time and perspective, while the scar remains, I see it differently. Life is a mix of the best and the worst. The question in any moment is not where the moment is on a scale between good and evil, celebration and despair. The question is always, what will I do with what I know?
Decisions have context. It is hard for me to know, much less understand, anyone’s context other than my own. I often find myself tying outcomes to decisions with the premise that good outcomes come from good choices. While this can be true, equally, some of the best decisions can be painful, even devastating. The measures I find myself being called to use are defined by what is right, what is caring, kind, and compassionate. I see the example before me of those walking with trust and faith; “Women received their loved ones back from the dead. There were those who, under torture, refused to give in and go free, preferring something better: resurrection.” (Hebrews 11.35)
Our path is more than the moments; it is about the tarmac and everything that follows. Road trips are epic when we bring our hearts and souls to them. The past includes scars, healing, and so much more. The future includes everything we choose to bring to each moment. With context and yesterday’s lessons, today is our new opportunity.
