THE SEVENTH KEY

The Seventh Key comes with a confession. In the journey through my life that was brought about by the bag of keys, I have visited some places in my heart that I have not seen in quite some time. There are still corners that I glanced at, but did not go close enough to investigate. Some things are best left buried in the past. I'm sure, too, that my perception of these events has subconsciously been tilted a bit in my favor. But, that is all in the telling of the story ... and I told it the best way I knew how. Oh ... the confession. The last key ... to tell you the truth ... I have no idea about its purpose. It does not bring to mind any recollection. Unlike the others, there is no feeling attached to it. I do not feel drawn into a particular place or event in my life. It is a key of mystery. Having suffered from a strong case of pragmatism inherited from my father, I do not think I understood the mystery of my life until the past few years. Particularly the mystery of my life hidden in Christ. When I was twelve I went to bonfire party that was mostly for kids a lot older than me. But it close to my home and a friend or two of mine were going. I was asked to bring a cooler with ice. I will swear great naivete in this matter! I did not know that my cooler of ice would be used to house alcoholic beverages. I wish I could tell you that I did not experiment, but I did. Actually I caught twice trying to act sophisticated and older and more mature than I was. The first was in the field when a girl from our church (a girl who never attended, but was a member) saw me drinking out of a bottle of wine. She said to me stinging words that I never forgot. "I'm surprised at you," she said, "you know so much about Jesus and all." I have to tell you that this hurts even now. I don't think that girl ever did get her life together while were in school. I was caught a second time at home. Some careless person had spilled wine in my cooler. My mother smelled it and sent me to my room with these instructions: "you need to read your Bible." Embarrassed, I submitted quietly. Sitting on my bed, I opened up the good book. No idea what I was looking at, in spite of years of Sunday School. But it was Acts 22. I remember clearly. I read words that I had only heard the preacher say. "And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16) Yes, it was true. I needed to wash away my sins. And so the next Sunday night, a few days away from turning 13, I was immersed in the cold water of the baptistry at the Barton Avenue Church of Christ in Luling, Louisiana. One side of me wants to just see a happy coincidence in the series of events. I believe I see some mystery here. Thankfully I didn't read a passage about beating up Philistines with the jawbone of an ass or something. I would like to tell you that this was the beginning of the upward trail for me, and that I had one marvelous success after another in the Kingdom. But we both know that would not be true. I'm not going to list for you my series of mistakes. They are relatively boring. But my thought here in telling all of this is that Christ has been working mysteriously through this journey ... weaving people in and out of the tapestry of my life. He has walked with me through every valley and he alone has stood beside me in every embarrassing moment. In His grace, He never gave up on me. In His mercy, he never failed to forgive. Not only that, but there is the mystery of the many ways I became (am becoming) aware of the multitude of His grace. Books, and people, and experiences that have pointed back to the Christ for answers. And there He was. Shining as bright as the sun, yet hidden and darkened in my feeble mind. A grand mystery! And the mystery of Christ is not solved in my own thinking even today. As I gather the keys together and place them in that Grey Flannel bag, I put them in a wooden box, and wonder where they will take me next time. Have all of these experiences melded together to form the man I am today? Or are they just a randomly mixed bag of coincidences ... fate? I believe that everything that has happened in my life has been used by God to develop a person with a set of experiences ... Uniquely equipped to help others on their way. And in that the mystery continues. What will God do with me now? I don't know. But I trust Him. I don't know much But I know I love you And that may be All I need to know --Linda Ronstadt, Aaron Neville, Don't Know Much