What Will Today Teach Us?

Do you believe that births, deaths, sickness, crisis, tragedies, life-altering moments, life-giving moments have something in common? Would you agree with me that when you experience any one of these life moments, there are opportunities to learn at least one new thing?

I don’t know how you feel or think about trying to glean a lesson or a life skill from life experiences and events, but maybe you can give me a few minutes to provide you with what I am trying to write today. Before I start, I want to make it clear that these life events for me have not always immediately dropped the lesson or new perspective in my lap right away. Quite the opposite. It’s taken time, prayer, tears, time to sit still and listen, and most of the time a lot of fear to navigate through, before my thoughts could become clear enough to receive what I needed to learn. So with that being said, let me share a few with you today…

Since early in my childhood the reality of children being sick has always been a up close, cannot deny reality. Children’s hospitals and waiting rooms were my family’s reality since before I was born, and only became more frequent after I was born. So the faith of my parents definitely influenced my brother and I as we prayed for our appointments and the others that we would meet in the waiting rooms on these days. We knew that some of these children may not make it to their next appointment, they were that sick- this was not withheld from us. And so when my friend and his dad passed away in a plane crash, my reaction was that of my five year old with the knowledge that Jesus loves children and that my four year old friend would be safe with Jesus now, I was at peace. Why wouldn’t I be? Yes I would miss him, but he didn’t even have to be sick and now he is with Jesus!

Of course as you grow older, knowledge becomes a love-hate kind of brain tug a war. By the second grade, I thought the worst thing ever happened to me, my friend moved away! Complete DEVASTATION! I cried and cried and cried until I couldn’t breathe and there were no more tears! There would never be another friend like her! And of course no one would ever take her place, but I learned I could make more friends. For a second grader though, this was the end of my world!

Fourth grade was a wild rollercoaster of life lessons. A family friend who had two little boys, was diagnosed with cancer. Her time was short. She embraced every little thing with her boys. She wished for everyone to wear purple to her funeral. To her I am grateful to have learned, the simplest things are the greatest and to never underestimate the power of color!

On spring break in fourth grade, we went to Nashville, TN and were caught in a tornado. Talk about learning everything is only temporary! You can have everything you want today, and tomorrow it can all be out the window, literally! Granted it was the 90s, but office building window were blown out and files and floppy disks covered downtown! Take nothing for granted!

Onto fifth grade, when a family friend’s cancer started to close her earth chapter and she passed into Jesus’ arms. She threw her head back laughing, never holding back! She lived a life in the right now! She took time at my brother’s swim meets to teach me how to cross stitch, she made her mark on me and many other children. She saw the value of children’s hearts!

In high school, my parents and I and three of my friends were in a hotel fire. Cause: Arson. Never have I ever heard wailing like I heard when the news was being given to the families of those who didn’t survive. The reason for the crime: jealousy of exotic dancer who was visiting a nearby club. She was with her 18 month old and her boyfriend. She and her child did not survive. A lot of fear and anxiety is a constant surrender due to this experience, BUT the lessons are abundant! Most importantly, no one is above anyone else, we all are human, we all have been created in the image of God, and we all are in desperate need of a Savior. If we don’t understand this, then we have a lot of work to do. The women that were on the floor above us were all visiting and being trained at this club. They are someone’s daughters, just as I am. I don’t know why they had taken this career path, and I have no right to judge or put a value on their life. I truly gained a real respect for these women. These women didn’t cower when they were subpoena to court as witnesses along with others from the hotel. They showed up and stuck together, supported one another, supported their friend and baby who truly didn’t deserve death! I pray for these women to this day! I want them to know that they are so incredibly loved by Jesus who never fails them!

One of my Young Life leaders who had graduated, gotten married, and was excited to welcome a little boy, suddenly passed away. She was athletic, played soccer, was a PE teacher, pretty much the picture of healthy, she passed away after giving birth to her son. She was someone whose countenance simply made your heart leap with joy! Even when I look at pictures, I can’t stop smiling! Her love for Jesus and life were extremely contagious!

A family friend who always made the little details matter- the murals for Bible school, for school plays, the creative activities for different holidays, the one that quietly did the behind the scenes work. She cared about the simple, but long term, the things you remember all your life. She loved Jesus, and he called her home before she could witness her first grand baby. I will never understand why on this side of eternity, but what I have learned is adults need to be held once in a while too. Tenderness can go a long way and make waves when it’s a matter of the heart and a matter of life!

And Lucy, we only have this moment. We must surrender the timeline into HIS hands – otherwise we are preoccupied and miss the right now. The smile, the giggle, the toes, the fingers, the wrinkles, the ears, the nose, the lips, the eyelashes…

Well, I have given you a tiny glimpse of learning opportunities brought about out of the hard knocks of life that I have experienced. They didn’t come immediately. They took time, sometimes they didn’t come for months or years. Just take time to feel all the feels – let it all flow – and if needed, repeat.

Will you choose to let today teach you something? Find a nugget – silly. serious. whatever. just one nugget.

Life Book of the Week: Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom