The (Lunch) Hour I First Believed

Can you remember a moment in your life-a single moment- that changed the way you viewed the world? You know, the kind that excites and humbles you all at once. Here’s one of mine. Back in the day, after the Bears but before Bear Bryant, I used to attend a local junior college called De Anza. In between classes I would often walk around the outdoor track to get some fresh air, clear my head after a pretty mind twisting philosophy class and well, pray. (I should probably mention that at this time in my life I was very involved with church and various Bible study groups.) Anyway, one particularly windy day I was doing the old “right over left” stretch (See Ms. Wimberley, P.E. wasn’t a complete waste!) and I couldn’t help but notice the crazy amount of trash on the field. I remember thinking, “How weird would it be if there was like a piece of Bible or something underneath my shoe” (Yes, I even thought the word “like” into my internal dialogue back then too. Sad, I know.) So anyway, I lifted up my foot and curiously inspected the many scraps of litter stuck to the bottom of my size 7 ½. There was one piece of paper about the size of my thumbprint that caught my eye. Go ahead and take a closer look at the picture. Do you notice any key words? Even though I realized pretty quickly that it wasn’t ‘actual’ scripture, it didn’t matter because a surge of absolute awe and disbelief was already coursing through my body. NO WAY! NO FA-REAKING-WAY! Although I'm no longer actively involved in church or Bible studies, I've kept this little treasure tucked safely inside a Winne the Pooh jewelry box for the last, um "several" years. Every time I need a reminder that anything is possible, I just pull this little puppy out and hold it in my hand for a minute until I remember-Uh, WAY!


What was your first “firefly moment”? I’d absolutely love to hear it!