Memory Lane

It’s funny what will take you down memory lane. For me today it was a name. The funny thing is that I look at that name a lot and it never strikes a memory but today, it caused a reaction; the name on my screen made me look at the date on my computer, the date on the computer had me walking to one of the few books that I still own, and looking at the back page; and there it confirmed what was rolling around in my mind. I had to do a little math nothing too hard but I was a little shocked by the number.

26 years. That meant it had been 26 years since I talked to this person. I don’t think of him very often anymore. But this time of year I always pause and think. I’m so grateful for you and what you taught me. He was my mentor and my friend and he died in car accident on this day 26 years ago.

I remember talking to him the night before Thanksgiving and lamenting that my life was not turning out anything like I planned and he said stop planning and try enjoying God’s plan for your life.

I still plan and God still undoes those plans. Something tells that if Ralph was still alive he would tell me to stop planning and enjoy what God is putting in front of you. Ralph quickly became a mentor to me when I was in Seminary. He encouraged me to explore my interest in writing portions of worship services and encouraged me to continue to use music as a part of worship.

Music has saved me more then once over the years. When I cannot find the words, there was always a song that says what I my heart is trying to say.

Ralph also taught me a few other things to live out your life:

Love God and love others every thing else will work out if you do this.

Be present. If someone else is talking about something important be present. If it’s important to them and they want to share it with you be present enough to listen.

Show compassion. You do not always know what else is going on. If someone is having a hard time. Give them compassion.

I learned so many other things too. But one of the the things that I have taken with me over the years was a saying Ralph had outside of his office door.

“Nothing so Strong as Gentleness, Nothing so Gentle as Real Strength.” Author unknown.

I don’t always know how to do this, in fact I think I rarely know. But I know that we have to try. For if we try, somewhere, somehow, someone is going to be the better for it and that, that will make it all worth it.

I am going to leave you today with some of the last words ever written by Ralph Smith Professor of Liturgics and Dean of the Chapel at Wartburg Seminary in 1994. For these words seem appropriate for today.