Pivotal life events

Monument marking the arrival of the Pilgrims in 1620 on Cape Cod

Joni Eareckson dove into a lake and broke her neck as a teenager. A tragic accident and a pivotal life event. Paul Hewson joined a band with a bunch of guys from his high school in Dubin, Ireland. A pivotal life event for Bono and his little band – U2. Albert McMackin invited a young farm boy to come and listen to a travelling evangelist one day in North Carolina. For Billy Graham, and millions around the world, this was a pivotal life event.

Some things you and I experience in life matter more than others. A whole lot more. They pack more of a punch; they shape our future. In contrast, so many things in life are really neither here nor there.

My first car, for example, was an orange Chevette. A more lemon-like colour would have been more appropriate. As I recall, on one awe-inspiring occasion my “Shove-it” reached the impressive speed of 65 miles per hour. No really, it did. No hills, no tail wind – nothing. Just a beautiful stretch of open highway somewhere in Minnesota. Even now, I can feel the rush and picture the pistons almost popping out of the hood. If only the car-commercial people had been there. It was an event worthy of a national holiday. And, as you can see, this was truly an important moment in world history, and a personal turning point in many ways.

Six or eight junky cars later, I am driving a white Corolla a.k.a. “White lightning”. But don’t worry, I won’t go there. And yes, I know…who cares? Exactly.

Meanwhile, each person reading this has a pivotal life event or two that you could talk about. Something profound has shaped you whether you realize it or not. What is it for you? It might be a relationship or an experience. It could be a family trip or a tragedy. It may be a word of caution or criticism; a dream or a disappointment. It may appear to be largely positive or negative. But chances are that there is something driving you deep down in the depth of your soul. And it is taking you somewhere fast.

Now you didn’t likely stop by at Career & Life Direction today to get psychoanalyzed. And if you did, the shock treatments I could offer via my jumper-cables and car battery, well…wouldn’t be strong enough anyway. And yet, I am taking the liberty of encouraging you to try to identify at least a couple large life events/experiences because of the important role that they might play in your future, and because of the possible negative impact if you don’t.

Do you want to drive or be driven? Do you plan on actively pursuing your destiny or just letting life happen to you? For Joni, what had happened to her was obvious for everyone to see. What would have happened if she had attempted to plan and live our her days while ignoring this critical event in her life? That would be crazy. Ridiculous. But sometimes these events are difficult to discern from a distance. Nobody else may know. But it is important for you, important for your future, to see your own situation clearly.

In case you are wondering, I have no intention of talking about some of my other pivotal life events here on the Internet, and I wouldn’t expect you to reveal yours to just anyone either. Some of these things can be quite personal. What is important, is for you and I to come to an accuarate understanding of ourselves.

I am crippled. I am an artist. I am an evangelist. I am…

Tell it like it is or it isn’t.

*Here are a few related discussion questions