The Day After…

I’ve been thinking a lot about life-defining moments.  We all have this invisible running list of the things that have shaped our lives.  It’s usually the things we talk about with those close to us.  It is the thing that defines us. Thankfully, most of those moments are very special; ones we don’t want to forget, like the moment we met the love of our life, or the day our babies were born. Some of those moments are devastating…moments never to be forgotten, even if we try.  Losses and pain are there in the background.  Like it or not; they are a part of who we are.  Maybe this is on my mind today because it is Sept 11th.  Our country was forever changed seven years ago.   It is a pain, a scar we can’t hide.  We will remember it as a day that changed us, but for some reason, I am thinking of “the day after” Sept 11th.  It is not remembered or heralded in the annals of history, but there was a Sept 12th, 2001.  It was a day filled with decisions.  It held opportunities for choices and responses to the “unforgettable” day.  I am not supposing that we should forget something, but that we should purposefully remember the “in-betweens”…”the day/s after”.  I’ve marveled at people who have forged a path of courage through a dark valley, but in truth, it’s not a particular moment that reveals their strength; it’s a path they’ve trodden AFTER the defining moments.  Yes, Calvary happened one day, but victory was realized after.  The walls of Jericho did fall, but there were still decisions to be made “the day after”, decisions of integrity.  Decisions to keep a promise to a harlot named Rahab.  What use was Rahab to the people of Israel now, “the day after” victory?  Did their promise to spare her life really matter? “The day after” was important! It was a piece of what was to come.  Rahab was mother to Boaz, who was the father of Obed, who was the father of Jesse, who was the father of King David, who is in the lineage of Christ.  WOW  “The day after” has a prominent place. It’s been said that true success is the ability to be dead to both praise and criticism.  “The day after” victory or defeat is a test to that thought.  The potential of “the day after” is beautiful or fateful; decisions and thoughts filled with pride or ruin.  I think of the days that have carved it’s place in my life and I reaize that they were huge catalysts for the real growth and learning that was to follow.  Every day is a imprtant; a chance to love; to trust; to learn.