I’ve previously shared about a on again, off again 6 year relationship I had when I was a teenager in New Jersey. I met Lisa at a private beach that both of our families attended. We were both very young but it seemed like love at first sight. I carved our names into a picnic table there. Unfortunately, she lived an hour away and only visited her sister on holidays and during the Summer, so we saw each other only during those inseparable times. I called her when my parents gave me permission and wrote letters. Life before cell phones and email… I was convinced Lisa and I would be together forever and even gave her a promise ring. As I got older though, my teenage hormones needed more than those couple of months and random days during the year, and I considered dating others during the OFF times. Lisa’s sister would often say “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be”. I think that was her way of saying God is in control and you’re not. I hated when she said that because I was sure it WAS meant to be. One Spring day a classmate named AnnMarie asked if I’d like to come and get to know each other while she was babysitting a 3 year old boy just a few houses from the beach club. Frankly it was unbearable. AnnMarie was great, but the kid was a loud little monster and refused to leave us alone. After an hour, I told AnnMarie I was going to get some air and I’d be right back. I walked to the beach club to sit on the picnic tables and clear my head. It was cold and the gates were locked for the season, but I wiggled my way in and noticed someone in the distance. It was Lisa. All alone, sitting on the picnic table with our names carved into it.
I never spoke to AnnMarie again and we spent the rest of Spring Break together. At that point I was SURE it was meant to be and I only wanted to date Lisa after that. I never thought that a few weeks into Lisa’s senior year, she’d want to “take a break” and see other people. My parents were also separating. It shook me so much, I sold my car for $700 and moved to La Jolla, California to start a new life. When I was there just month, I received a call from Lisa, crying hysterically, asking me to come home and get back together permanently. I ALMOST did it… If I had enough money, I would have. I told her that whatever she was going through, I’d fix it, but to give me a short time to earn the money for a plane ticket. By the time that happened, I couldn’t reach her again, so I stayed… I didn’t hear from her again for 5 years, but that’s a story for another blog…
Mike D took Tony’s place today to give our final message in our ALMOST series. We started in James 2:1 that shares about listening AND doing… Why is there such a disconnect between those two activities? If you really want to live the free Christian life, we need to do both. Ez 33:31 says we need to hear these amazing words and put them into practice. Don’t look in a mirror and forget what you look like… God’s promise is that we’ll be blessed and free if we listen AND do. The quality of our lives is determined by the obedience in our lives. How devastating it would be if God said “You ALMOST made it” or “You did so much to change your life and obedience that it ALMOST made you a good and faithful servant”…
Looking back, I know it was meant to be that Lisa and I would go in different directions and her sister was right all along. God worked all the details out and though I occasionally think back and wonder what would’ve happened, I’m sure there was no path to being a Christian and building a believing family otherwise. I ALMOST took the wrong road. As Christians we have this choice every day, where we should DO what we know we ought vs. ALMOST doing it. True Christians don’t generally just give up and become disobedient, we drift a little. We get distracted frequently and forget. Let’s go from good to great and from ALMOST to ALWAYS, and be all we can be spiritually.
Have a great week !