I will always remember June 14. On that day in 2009 I had the joy of baptizing Mary, an example of God’s grace that brought her family and her from refuge camps where they had been driven from their home by political unrest in the Sudan to U.S. citizenship and now a baptized member of our church. What a story! We also had the greatest spiritual movement in worship, up until that time in our church, on that same day. What a day!
On June 14, 1988 I began my first day as a pastor in South Carolina. I grew up in Mississippi and had served churches in other states and but it seemed as if God gave me a second home and it would take too long to describe the adventure he has given me as a minister in South Carolina.
I will never forget June 14, 1997. My mother gave Dad his Father’s day card. As he was reading it she said, “I have a sharp pain in my head.” Those were her last words. She slumped and died a few hours later from a massive cerebral aneurysm. She was 68. She was really my best friend for most of my life and the joy of our family. She made life fun for everyone who met her. Although she rarely traveled far from her birthplace in rural Alabama she touched many lives with joy. We had over 400 well-wishers morn with us at her passing. Years later, when I would return home for visits I would see people who told me they missed her laugh. She gave me the gift of joy as I was raised in a home with laughter as an everyday occasion. The omnipresent smile people see on me today is a tribute to her. I will certainly remember June 14.
Life is filled with dates and to remember; anniversaries, birthdays, special events, good times and some tragedies. I call them ‘Spiritual Markers’. The Bible gives us examples of the importance of creating such markers to remember important events of the past. Examples are seen in the annual Passover Meal, Feast of Tabernacles, Last Supper, etc. The Apostle Paul never forgot his day of conversion. He talked about it and other markers for the rest of his life. When Joshua led the descendants of Israel across the Jordan River into the Promised Land they took twelve stones, one for each tribe, and piled them up to make a monument. When asked, “What do these stones mean?” The answer was given that this will serve as a monument (reminder or marker) for the generations to come. It would be important for them to remember their past to make the most of their future.
As you go through life I encourage you to set aside your own Spiritual Markers. They serve to remind us of the importance of all of life’s actions and it’s frailty as we make the most of today’s opportunities. There are times we gulp the moments in our fast paced world so quickly that we seem to fail to realize that once lived we don’t get that moment back. It is important to pause to reflect and make the most of each moment. Some moments are worth marking in a special way. We live in a sin-scarred world so some days will just stand out due to a tragedy that can’t be prevented. However, if you focus on making each day special, as I learned from my mother, you can still transform the tragic markers into days when you may have a tear but it trickles into the upward curve of a smile as you are left with good memories.
I call them spiritual because these markers are good for my soul even though one may not think them always to be pious. As in this important case; while my wedding anniversary is in August, I have a Spiritual Marker on March 23. I try to do something special for my spouse on that day because I will always remember March 23, 1980, it was early Sunday afternoon. My girlfriend and I had been to Pizza Hut for lunch after we went to church together. She was wearing a white dress with a floral pattern. She met me at church that morning in her car so after lunch I took her back to her car in the church parking lot. Ours were the only two cars there. Before she got out of my car I told her I wanted to ask her something serious. She never knew what to expect because I was always up to something (remember the legacy of fun from my mother). I looked her in the eye and asked her to marry me. She hit me in the arm and told me to stop kidding around. I should have taken notice that this spunky response was an indication that life with her would not be dull. Then, reality set in with her and she realized I was not kidding. We have been seriously having fun since then.
A good life is not made so much of many great events but of many everyday occasions that we make great. As stated earlier in this writing we live in a sin-scarred world. There will be tragedy and loss. I still miss talking to mom, but I remember her every time I smile and on June 14 I do try to something special in her honor. Begin today setting Spiritual Markers in your life. Spiritual Markers really make a difference, if you think not check with me and my wife on March 23…better make that the 24th!
