I have been thinking a lot about moments in my life where I had an experience that change my life to the core for the rest of my life. These moments may be joyful or painful but they are moments that shape us.
Spring 1997 – I was a freshman in college and I was stuck in a rut that I didn’t know how to get out of. I had started listening to music that was full of foul lyrics and also smoking cigars because my ‘friends’ in college were doing that. I remember crying myself to sleep one evening when I had hit a wall where I knew I was created for a life where I didn’t need these things in my life but I didn’t know how to get out of the rut I was in. I woke up the next morning and went on with life not actively remembering that prayer. 2 weeks later I went to my bedroom to get my music from my box under my bed and found it all messed up and not the way I left it. I thought that I had just dumped it out and forgotten to fix it. That evening my loving dad came to me and asked me if there was anything that I wanted to tell him. I was very nervous but I said that I listened to bad music and smoked an occasional cigar. My dad looked at me and I expected to get the yelling of a lifetime but all he said was, “Aaron, you have some things you need to address with God.” Those 11 words pierced my heart more than any yelling ever could. God used my dad to get me out of my rut and I started my current passionate walk with God that day. I had trusted Christ as my savior at an early day but the spring of 1997 was where I found God to be my friend.
June 29, 2004 – This evening I sit with my mom and dad in our living room. The room looks more like a hospital room than a family living room. My dad was dying that night while my mom and I sat with him. I remember the moment he entered a new life with God and past away from this world. My mom and I began to sing songs because we didn’t know what else to do. This final moment was the last time I was with my dad here on earth. It was the saddest moment of my life to date and I really miss him with the 5 year anniversary of his death approaching.
On February 13th, 2006 – I lay in bed waiting for the longest Valentines day of my life to begin where I would face the fusion of my left foot. I remember the wonderful feeling moving my foot for the last time ever, I actually relished the time. I did not know that what laid ahead of me was many long and difficult years of surgeries but I cherished the ability I had to move my foot.
All of these final moments were turning points in my life where drastic changes happened to my faith, family, and health. There was nothing that I could to change these final moments because I see that they were all ordained by God. I do not know why God chooses to do what he does but I just trust Him.
I look back to each of the moments and there was a wonderful experience where I felt something. It was relief when God used my dad to change my life and draw me closer to Him. Pain and heart ache was felt when my dad died. When I waited for my foot to be fused I was afraid and didn’t know what would happen. I think it is easy to become so eager to get to tomorrow that we forget to see what God has us experiencing today.
I know that each moment I described God was glorified. I pray that as I continue through life I will embrace every final moment because I know that God is in that moment with me.
