I missed posting a blog last week so I’m going to write that one for today because I haven’t finished today’s Life of Paul post. The past two weeks have been a bit challenging as my wife, Darlene, has been in the hospital. I’ll briefly describe that before moving on to today’s topic.

She had been dealing with a herniated disc in her lower back for about a week (3 weeks ago) and the pain eventually became so severe that we had to call an ambulance to bring her to the hospital. They performed a CT Scan and an MRI on her to check out what was going on with her spine (she has MS and chronic kidney disease as well). The contrast agents for the imaging knocked her kidney function out and she had to remain hospitalized and underwent four sessions of dialysis. Her kidneys have now recovered to their pre-hospital state, no more dialysis is required, and she is working on gaining sufficient strength and mobility to return home. It’s been 12 nights in the hospital so far. We’d both appreciate your continued prayers as she strengthens and prepares to return home (to our RV).

I have been thinking for a while about other “in-between Life of Paul” posts and one of the topics I would like to write about is how God set me on the path of my life’s journey. I have always been able to relate to Paul’s experience on the road to Damascus. He encountered Jesus there and that changed his life’s direction. From a broader perspective, though, it’s interesting to think about the fact that Paul had been “serving God” prior to that experience. It’s just that he had missed the boat, so to speak, in that he was not serving God in the way that God wanted him to. He was zealous for God and earnestly seeking to do God’s will, and it took the Damascus road encounter for God to break through and get his attention enough to correct his path and send him on his way. It is in that sense that I feel I share some common ground with Paul.

I want to take you back to a time when I was in my late teens. I had been a Christian since the age of eight. I was not a rebellious kid and was obedient to my parents (mostly!), involved in church, and a good student. Since junior high I had my heart set on becoming a school band director and never waivered from that through the end of high school.

When I went to college, my first semester as a music major was successful. I could see my future laying out before me and don’t recall any serious misgivings about the choices I had made. My closest friends were all involved in music as well and life was good.

After the conclusion of that semester, my family and a close friend of mine took a vacation trip to Colorado to spend some time skiing. This was not unusual. I was born in Colorado, we frequently vacationed there, and I had every intention of moving there after college to begin my teaching career. That ski trip was in December, 1979. We were staying in a motel in Idaho Springs, which is the town where my sister and brother had grown up. My sister and brother-in-law were teachers in Colorado and were spending some time skiing with us. My friend (I don’t remember if his family had come along as well) and I and my sister/brother-in-law had several good days of skiing at Keystone resort – one of my favorite ski areas.

Here’s where my “Damascus” story comes in. I still remember it very clearly here 45 years later. It was cloudy, rather chilly, and mid-day. We had done several runs down the mountain and were lined up in the ski lift line. I don’t remember why, but I was riding the lift as a “single” on this particular run, and it was one of the longer ski lifts. I remember getting on the lift, and getting off, but what happened while on it is a little fuzzy. I remember the trees passing by on either side, but not much else about the scenery. I didn’t fall asleep, but I clearly remember God speaking to me. It was not an audible voice, but it was clear in my head and in my heart. He simply said “You need to be a science teacher.” There was no explanation about why he didn’t want me to continue pursuing music. My prior experiences had not prepared me to pursue the study of science. I had done the minimal requirements in high school of math and science and, while I did fine at them, they were not of any particular interest or attraction to me. I was interested in the fine arts.

This command – and I look back on it and see it as nothing short of a command – to change my focus entirely and pursue science education was emphatic and truly a shock to me. However, it was so markedly clear that I didn’t resist or complain. I just accepted it. I got on that ski lift and this was not anything that was even remotely on my mind. By the time I got off that lift – and I remember distinctly my skis touching the slope and riding down from the chair – I was now on the path to become a science teacher. It was that sudden and that clear to me, and nothing that I had foreseen as a possibility.

That moment in my life has stuck with me ever since. I remember later that day telling my friend, sister, and parents what had happened. My decision had been made and no one balked at it, although there were all very surprised. My dad referred back to that decision and the way it happened several times over the course of my life.

Looking back, I know without a doubt that I did what God wanted me to do. I pursued science education for over 35 years. I don’t mean that my life has been perfect and always lived out in full obedience, but I KNOW that I followed the path he set for me. As for my musical aspirations, God blessed me with the ability and opportunity to continue to serve Him with that as well, but he wanted me (and used me) in the field of science. Even though in these later years of my life I am working in history education for museums, God gave me so many wonderful opportunities to represent him through my life as a science teacher and that has overflowed into my other pursuits to this day. I am grateful to Him as I look back on my life that he gave me such a wonderful set of opportunities and challenges!

I have other things to share along these lines in the coming weeks, but perhaps next week I can get back to my Life of Paul series!