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A friend of mine went on a vacation to Lake Tahoe a few years ago with a small group of people. While he knew most of them, there were a few he had only heard of through stories shared within the tight circle. One of those individuals was identified as a nun, however, on this trip she appeared indistinguishable from the rest of the party. Every morning my friend would wake up before dawn to make coffee and gaze out the kitchen window at the dock outstretched on the pristine lake. For the first three mornings he noticed that at the end of the dock, with feet dangling in the water, sat a woman. On this last morning he decided to also to make his way to the dock's edge, find a new place to take in the scenery, and possibly make a new friend. As he neared the end of the long floating walkway, he greeted the unknown member of his group and asked if he could sit too. Within a few moments the two were engaged in conversation about the highlights of their trip and their hopes for the last few days. My friend asked the woman, "What do you come out here every morning to do?" The woman replied, "I come out here every morning to recreate myself as a nun." My friend, perplexed, asked, "I thought you are a nun. Why would you need to do that?" She responded, "I recreate myself as a nun every morning, because if I don't I will forget." This was a defining moment for my friend, and he shares this story with everyone. It gave him a new place to start.
Every day I have the privilege to recreate my life and create my day, but only if I can remember to do so. I think about the individuals, both from the past and ones living now, who have intentionally created their life and made a difference despite their seemingly dictated circumstances. I am grateful for the example that they leave for me to follow. It seems to take courage to start over and certainly a willingness to own responsibility for who I will be today no matter what is in front or behind me. There is power in recreating my purpose, myself, my relationships, and how I show up. Today it is my purpose to remember what is important and remind you to do the same. We can create our day and recreate ourselves.
