Thankful

Forty years have passed since I graduated from high school. That is truly hard for me to fathom. As for me, the path of my life has had many twists and turns, most of which were not a part of my original plan or dream. As for me, I have no regrets.

Two scripture verses throughout my life have always given me assurance that no matter where life takes me, God is with me – “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” I believe I have traveled the paths I have for a reason, which only God knows. In light of this, I can only and simply be thankful.

Unfortunately, I have not remained in close touch with any of my high school classmates, except for one, my twin brother. My best friend in high school lost his life to pancreatic cancer almost 20 years ago. It still seems difficult to imagine such a gifted teacher having such a short life.

I find comfort in knowing that his parents passed away not long before he did. Three of the four family members were reunited in a relatively short time in heaven. That is quite comforting to me.

As I said, I have not done a good job of keeping in touch with other classmates. I do, however, wonder from time to time how each of them are doing and what kinds of paths they have traveled through life and if the Lord has been and is a part of their lives.

As for me, I know that I could not have traveled the paths I have without the Lord’s presence in my life. Have I been perfect? No. Have I made mistakes? Yes. By the grace of God and His loving kindness and forgiveness, I keep moving forward and look forward to that day when I meet Him face to face.

May God bless each of you during this difficult time in our nation.