Happy Anniversary?

Today’s my twenty-seventh anniversary.

In case you don’t recall, December 5, 1987 was a crisp, cloudy Saturday in Colorado. I thought I’d put up some outdoor Christmas lights. I almost completed the job before life changed forever, literally in the blink of an eye.

I took a ride in an ambulance and reurned home five months later in a wheelchair.

Most years this anniversary passes unnoticed, but yesterday I spoke to a group and someone noted the date. As I drove home I reflected on some things I’ve learned.

We’re not promised tomorrow. Life is fragile, and we ought to treasure each moment. Experiences delayed may well become experiences lost.

Things need to be held loosely in open hands. As the country song says, “You’ve never seen a wagon behind a hearse.”

Gratitude is a great choice in any situation. That’s a really tough lesson to learn.

Hope changes what’s possible. Aside from love, hope is the most powerful force in the universe. Without hope, we begin to die even while our hearts beat. With hope, we can overcome incredible adversity.

The enemy’s most powerful lie is our conviction that we have to react to our fears. Fear is a normal part of life. When Jesus said, “Take courage. I AM. Don’t be afraid,” He told us not to be controlled by fear. We can face fear and move forward with courage because He is with us.

None of it’s easy. Everyone’s got a story. From the outside it’s tempting to sanitize and glamorize and turn it into a made-for-TV Hallmark movie, but life’s not like that.

Live a great story and trust God to use it for good. Stop trying to make it turn out right–He’s taking care of that.

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So today, Becky and I are “celebrating” by putting up our first-ever outdoor Christmas lights.

Don’t worry. The small evergreen tree in the yard gets one string of lights. All feet (and wheels) on the ground–no ladders.

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