Years ago, I had a friend that was paralyzed from the waist down. Sexy Denver folks will remember Pam, as she was a meteorologist on Channel 7, and one of the nicest people on TV...she told me the story of her horseback riding accident that left her paralyzed, and how she knew, as she lay on the cold ground in Iowa, waiting for someone to come find her, that she was paralyzed. She said that she just kept repeating Romans 8: 28 over and over to keep herself calm. Romans 8:28 is the verse that says "and we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purpose."
Now, just between you and me, I really do not fully understand that verse or have a clear explanation of it, but it has always stuck with me, because I know that Pam was telling the truth and that the reason Pam was the way she was in this life was because Pam believed it, and Pam was good. And even though I am not a Bible scholar, I do know this, that book of Romans has a lot of verses that are a little bit mysterious, to me, on this journey. And it still a mystery to me why a good person like Pam, who had a great life, despite being paralyzed, died way too soon, leaving behind a husband and children.
But, in the end, I still think the overwhelming truth is that her life was good.
I think this is on my mind today because I always think of Pam when I hear that verse or when someone talks about something being used for good...something that "at the end of the day" is good, even though it was not always easy to see that way...and maybe the day that we can see, clearly, what the truth is, is a long time coming.
This week I was telling a friend that my two older kiddos have a very clear and vivid memory of the events of September 11th and probably do not remember much about how the world was before September 11th. Both of them have always lived in a world of terrorists, endless wars and conspiracy theories. Though my youngest lives in this same world, she does not remember the horror of that day and is still too young to fully understand. But she will understand soon enough.
My friend said "Maybe that is why they are the best kids I know. Maybe that is why they are living life with so little fear. Maybe that is why they have a clue at 18 and 20 about what really matters."
I don't know if he is right, but what he said did make me think about a lot of things having to do with September 11th and August 28 (8:28) and tomorrow....
Be good. See good.
