3 people from the past.

If three people from your past came on a TV show to surprise you, who would they be and what would you say?

1. The first boyfriend.

Because of him I have grown. I am where I am because of him

I wish you could see me now

I wish I could show you how

I'm not who I was

I learned how to love the outdoors,

I met people who have become an active part of my life

I used to be mad at you

A little on the hurt side too

It's because of you that I know the deep pain of rejection,

I have experienced deep loss,

But I can relate to others on a deeper level now.

But I'm not who I was

I found my way around

To forgiving you

Some time ago

But I never got to tell you so

I was thinking maybe I

I should let you know

I am not the same

But I never did forget your name

Well the thing I find most amazing

In amazing grace

Is the chance to give it out

Maybe that's what love is all about

I wish you could see me now

I wish I could show you how

I'm not who I was*

2. Suzie

She was an older friend from my first real job, outside of school, as a teenager. We worked together at the same retirement home that my grandparents worked at 5 years earlier, we had known each other then but not very well. We worked in the kitchen together and she always encouraged me in my job and listened to my stories of adventure from school. Her opinion of my work ethic was important to me.

When on the show I would ask her, “Am I okay? Did I do alright so far?” Somehow her opinion of me always mattered. Maybe because she knew my grandparents and thought highly of them. Maybe because she was a hard worker and I wanted to work hard too. Maybe because I also wonder if she ever saw Jesus in me.

3. 9 year old Sonya

For a child she had a lot going on in her mind. She wanted to be liked by people, she didn’t understand why the boys liked Michael Anne and not her, she wanted people to be her friend and she wanted to work at camp (okay that wasn’t an every day thought but going to camp and re-telling camp stories was an every day event). She didn’t brush her hair very often because it hurt too much; she played in the dirt at recess and got in trouble for it. She was a carefree spirit and enjoyed her free style imagination and played in it often with little fear of the future.

I don’t know if I would actually tell 9 year old Sonya anything. I think I would rather ask her questions. I would ask her what she wants to do when she grows up, I would play in the dirt with her, I would listen to her fears of being left out and I would enjoy her lack of inhibitions and I would enjoy her large imagination.

These are the three people I would meet, these are the things I would say or do with them.

What about you?

Who would you meet?

What would you say?

*I'm not who I was, by Brandon Heath