Second, Third and Fourth Chances

Maybe it is because I am about to have my 68^th birthday that I have been having unusual reflections about my life. Have you ever thought about how many times in your life you almost died?  I know, I know, this sounds incredibly gloomy, but bear with me, and remember I studied Thanatology (Death, Dying and Bereavement).

I am told that I almost drown as a toddler when I fell into a pool and was saved by an onlooker. This near tragedy probably resulted of my swimming prowess consisting of just one Red Cross beginner’s lesson.

At ten years of age, I fell out of a racing go-kart which my mother told me NOT to ride. Fortunately, I suffered no major injury, just many scrapes from skidding painfully over our pebbly street.

At sixteen, I was a passenger in a buddy’s souped-up sports car. We went out to the country roads of my home in West Virginia. Going way beyond the speed limit, we slid around a curve, off the road, into a field, nearly flipping over and choking on the dust as we came to a stop. Perhaps this explains why I drive the speed limit most everywhere!

Another scare came about twenty years later when my sister and my two young daughters took part in a river rafting trip. About an hour after the start, we experienced a microburst. Microbursts are localized downdrafts within thunderstorms and can cause extensive damage, and in some instances, can be life-threatening. My daughters were both in the water when the microburst began.  I pulled one daughter back in the raft, but the wind and rain were so strong the raft’s guide could not navigate to find my other daughter. Again fortunately, my other daughter was picked up by another raft and we were taken safely to the shore.

What would have happened if any of these situations ended differently? I ‘ve wondered if God had spared me for a purpose. More specifically, I wondered if these incidents brought me to a place where I appreciated God’s mercy in a way I would not have otherwise.

Henri Nouwen, the well-known spiritual author writes, “Once all of our past is remembered … our failures and betrayals can be transformed into gratitude and enable us to become messengers of hope.” I am grateful for the mercy received by surviving these situations along with my many other poor life decisions. 

From Nouwen again, “Life is a short, often painful mission, full of occasions to do fruitful work for God’s Kingdom. The real question before our death is not, How much can I still accomplish?  That question shifts our attention from doing to being. We are most likely to be remembered for who we were.”

I learned from these near tragic situations that, most times, we are not in control of our ultimate death. We are however in a position to live our lives as children of God through our relationships with others. And even after our death, the Spirit of our love remains.Live life, my friends, and be at peace!