At various points in our lives, each will turn a corner. There are times like now when I am starting something knew that I recognize that I am making a decision to do something differently. Most of the time, I only catch a glimpse of a turn well after I have actually made the turn. So far, I have not found a pattern to what I recognize or do not. As look back at recent history, I can see that there were several milestones marking where I changed.
An obvious one was the challenge and reality of brain surgery. Without being melodramatic, it was a turning point that I could see coming. The unknown of living with partial deafness and unexplained nausea became something real with the diagnosis and surgery schedule. The “but” to the sentence must follow. I could see the turn coming but I did not anticipate what would change in my thinking.
Before and since, there were other turning points. Each has a sense of timing and purpose, as if there is a force in my life working towards a greater purpose. As I look back with the wisdom that comes with time, I realize that each event shares several common threads.
One moves beyond the past. Metaphorically, it is as if one is saying “and so this is good-bye” (Acts 20.25) to a part of one’s life.
One embraces something new. In my life, it is more than something additional. In each case, it was the departure of the old replaced by an awareness of the new. Often the switched occurred without a conscious decision on my part.
One acts with different priorities and values. This lagging indicator informs me that a turn has occurred. Even in the case of knowing a turn would occur with brain surgery, I did not understand the content until the lagging indicators began to appear in my life and relationships.
Each turn is a milestone that has informed me of the direction of my life. While they are not all positive, each event informs and educates.
