Today is the seventh day of December
in the year of our Lord two thousand and eight. Some of you may be expecting
this email from me, and for others you still have no idea why I am writing. It
has become a bit of a tradition for me to take a few moments to put some of my
incoherent and scattered thoughts down on paper a few times a year on
days that mark a significant moment of pain and sacrifice for our country. The
greatest and most significant of those days for me is today, December seventh.
It was 67 years ago that our country
was rocked by the Japanese attacks on Pearl Harbor. That is the reason for me
writing at this particular time on this particular day. In years past I have
focused on the significance of that day as a day that would "live in
infamy" for all time and talked about our world today and the infamy that
still surrounds us. I have thought a lot about what I wanted to write today and
I have been very conflicted. But I think I know now what I should write. I want
to make it a little more personal this time. I want to write a bit more about
me than I usually do.
I am sad today. Several things have
occurred in my life recently that have combined to really make me quite
sad. I have experienced a wide range of emotions and have been feeling very
unsettled. I suppose you could say that I was attacked, bombed, torpedoed, and
am now trying to deal with the chaos that comes with such attacks. Much like
the Americans stationed at Pearl 67 years ago I was not ready to deal with the
magnitude of what has hit me and ships in my fleet have been sinking. I know
the metaphor may be silly or unwarranted, but it is helping me to think of it
that way, so I am running with it. So really you are getting a glimpse into my
thoughts and mind. I don't know if you care to see inside, but for good or ill,
you are in it if you have read this far.
It is easy to become to focused on
the negative in life, on the things that seem to be falling apart and out of
our control. It is easy to wallow in misery and be caught in the snare of
depression and the trap of angst and worry. There are times when it seems like
the whole world is against you, like all you can see is fire and destruction,
like the ships around you are sinking and it is all you can do to keep from
sinking and burning up yourself. Those are not fun times, Those are not good
times. But those are significant times.
We have a choice in such times. Do
we cower in fear and anguish, do we run away, do we isolate ourselves in our
pain and suffer alone, believing that there is no hope? Or do we do something
more than that? It is in such times that we are most open to God and his
leading. It is in times of sorrow, amidst the pain and amidst the loss that God
is often most able to get through to us. We listen better, we pay more
attention, because we are hurting and our hearts crave solace and comfort.
It was because of the determination
and courage of those men who did not simply lie down and give up on December
7th, 1941 that America was inspired to take action and enter into the great war
that cost so many lives and caused so much pain. I recently watched
"Saving Private Ryan" again and was reminded anew of the significance
of each and every life that was sacrificed on both sides of that war. Life is
precious. Do not throw it away.
There is no pain that is too strong,
no loss to overwhelming, that God cannot work in us and heal us if we let him.
Life doesn't always go how we think it should. In fact, in my twenty five years
I have found that it often doesn't. We cannot control many of the circumstances
in our lives and we often make mistakes in the things we can control. But we
can learn from those mistakes and learn to recognize what we cannot control and
not be consumed by the doubt, fear, and pain that threaten to rob us of joy and
peace. God is bigger than anything that we will every face. I am keenly
reminded of that as I sit here today.
I am working on creating a video
commemorating the 60th anniversary celebration for my grandparents that I was a
part of last week. It is reminding me of the power of love, or devotion, and of
forgiveness. Their marriage has been far from perfect, and their family is far
from perfect, but I am proud to be a part of it. And when I see my name on that
family tree it means something, something that is worth fighting for.
So I guess all that is really to say
this. We cannot control much of what happens in our lives, but we can
control how we respond. We have to make changes, we have to take action, we
have to persevere in faith, hope, and love, no matter what.
As I think of how to conclude my
ramblings for the day I am once again reminded of the words of Gandalf in that
great and epic story we know as Lord of the Rings (you had to know I would work
it in somewhere! :p) If you have known me long you have doubtless heard me
speak of these words before. I end with them once again today...
Frodo: "I wish the ring had
never come to me. I wish none of this had happened."
Gandalf: "So do all who live to
see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide
is what to do with the time that is given to you."
Use your time well. Live a live
filled with faith, hope, and love, no matter what may cross your path.
Living in Dangerous Wonder,
Garrett
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