A Pastor’s Perspective
By Sharon Latour
At church on the Sunday morning after the Garberville Trifecta - you know, the weekend we simultaneously experienced the rodeo, biker’s run, and South Fork high school’s graduation - we didn’t find ourselves talking about what had happened. But rather, what didn’t happen. Nothing bad happened all weekend.
The Safe and Sober Grad Night was a wonderfully attended event after a really classy graduation ceremony at the high school. And I heard about how the bikers were so thoughtful around all the horses. And how about the perfect weather? And nothing bad happened.
It’s interesting how much advertising effort is aimed at telling us how unsafe we are. I guess some of it’s true. But I do grow weary of being stirred into a frenzy at the thought of smile lines taking over my face or “unsightly belly fat” taking over my life and rendering me utterly unworthy. Hate that.
And this fear-based approach to selling things is not new. I recall seeing a pre-WWII movie where two attractive characters were lamenting this approach of preying on people’s fears in order to sell them your stuff. I thought that was
Since we can’t change the advertiser’s approach overnight, allow me to spin this a different way. When such an assault is yet again foisted on you, offer a brief breath prayer of thanks that you don’t need to worry about whatever it is they’re trying to cause you to worry over. A breath prayer is basically that: in the physical process of slowly inhaling and exhaling through your nose, you simply offer silent thanks.
Noticing non-events started a long time ago in my life. On my way to school one day, I was driving the speed limit on a back road; a speed that had always seemed far too fast, as a neighborhood subdivision was just off that byway.
That morning I noticed a little boy, on a Big Wheel tricycle, pulling into the road from the housing area. The brakes on my car responded very unevenly and I began to fishtail badly. What happened next I cannot explain; but it changed my life.
Knowing where he was and where I was, there was no way I could miss hitting him. I waited to hear the sickening thud against the right rear part of the car. Instead, I safely stopped on the side of the road and saw that he was calmly sitting back behind the stop sign’s restraining line, astride his plastic steed.
I remember taking him to the first house inside the neighborhood area and telling the neighbor what had happened and would she please get him home. I don’t remember driving to school or what happened later that day. All my mind could hold was the disbelief in the miracle of having been spared the mind-altering savage memory that hitting that child would have caused.
If you know me, you know I couldn’t have emotionally survived knowing I had hit a child. Even if it hadn’t been my fault, it would have been too much for my overly sensitive, 17-year-old psyche to absorb. Instead, he was perfectly safe and I was given a depth of gratitude nothing else could ever create.
Dear reader, I don’t know where you are this morning in your life. I want you to know that I have had many, many losses and disappointments, too. But I was graced at a young age to profoundly notice non-events: horrible possibilities that never happened. And noticing and being grateful for things that don’t happen has generally helped me keep a sense of perspective when the really tough disappointments come. And they do come, don’t they?
So notice with me, the wonderful events that took place last week. And at the same time, look a layer deeper and breathe thanks for the non-events that made it all so very special for all of us.
They say it’s all a matter of perspective: from what angle you view your life makes it “good” or “not.” As for me, I was so very grateful that our high schoolers had a fun and safe place to celebrate their accomplishments and enter adulthood. There were no unfortunate events to diminish their big night after graduation.
What have you forgotten to notice that could recalibrate your life into grateful celebration? Why don’t you take a deep breath, right now, and remember.
Shalom!
(Note for Friday Night Youth high schoolers and volunteers: we’ll plan to watch a film (Les Miserables) on Friday at 6 p.m. after dinner at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Presbyterian Church in Garberville.)
Sharon is pastor of the Garberville Community Presbyterian Church. Services are open to all on Sundays at 11 a.m. Comments or questions should be addressed to: Dr. Sharon Latour, c/o A Pastor’s Perspective, P.O. Box 65, Garberville, CA 95542. (707)923-3295.
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