Five Simple Words

Once I went to Greece with three good friends. We ate their yogurt and photographed ourselves with headless Grecian goddesses in front of countless architectural ruins.

Beth Moore was filming a women’s Bible study there and we were in her audience. In one of her talks she told of a backwoods joy ride in a beat up old truck, dogs along for the adventure, her husband at the wheel seemingly intent on hitting every gully with dramatic effect, swerving the vehicle both for maximum reaction and maximum fun. She described bouncing wildly in the cab of that truck while having the time of their lives. Just enjoying life in an old truck in the back woods with her man and her dogs.

Near the end of the session notecards were distributed with instructions to write a brief note to ourselves with a key thought from some of the proceeding days of teaching. Beth said that she herself would mail these back to us, one by one, when the time was right.

A few months after returning home the first friend got her note! The message she wrote to herself in the past was now speaking to her heart in the present. Then the next friend and the next received theirs. It was almost a full year since we’d returned home and I worried that my note had gotten lost. Beth Moore promised she would send them out at just the right time but mine didn’t come.

In just that one year so much had happened. So much time gone by, so many unexpected, even unwanted, life experiences and water under the bridge. Multiple bridges. I couldn’t remember the words that meant so much to me almost a year ago in Athens. But then my note finally arrived! I cautiously opened the envelope to read the simple five words I’d written on that day.

We’d been told that the journey was going to be exhilarating. That it would also be bumpy and there’d be times we might even hit our head on the ceiling but if we were going to live with any degree of joy sometimes we’d have to do what the note said. Its illegal in California but I’m telling you, there are times when you just have to do it if you’re truly going to enjoy your life.

Take your seat belt off.