Our Lives In A Sentence?
by Chris Kamalski
Seems like this might become a series.
This is how Adah, my favorite narrator in The Poisonwood Bible, ends her story:
We are the balance of our damage and our transgressions. He was my father. I own half of his genes, and all of his history. Believe this: the mistakes are part of the story. I am born of a man who believed he could tell nothing but the truth, while he set down for all time the Poisonwood Bible. (p. 533).
I see so much of my life in the fourth sentence, it is uncanny.
Becoming Chris Kamalski 
“Believe this: The mistakes are part of the story.” Who hasn’t made mistakes (sinned)? Mistakes teach us, and let God teach us and heal us, and let other people into our lives to teach and heal alongside us. I personally don’t like mistakes, but I have made my share, and probably caused others to make their share as well. What’s that saying? – “a brook can’t sing without going over stones” or “when the sun/Son shines onto a broken glass, it shines into more places than if it were unbroken.’ I’ve messed up the quotes, but hopefully the idea is there. I’m going to reread The Poisonwood Bible.
Aly, agreed. I wasn’t necessarily referring to my dad, but rather, to all those things in my life that have made…my life.
Mom…profound stuff. I love the (messed up) quotes! They are mom versions! Re-read it. You’ll love it…and it will have so much to say regarding the submerging posture we are just finishing!
So umm, “sometimes” I’m a huge fan of Oprah (wink), and she highly recommended this book on an episode that I watched (ahem, I was probably at home sick…), and so I ran out and got it.
It pretty much had the same impact on me… Live and learn. And the living can be hard, and the learning can be painfully hard (emphasis on painful), but mistakes will be made, and perserverance is a part of it all.
I hate that mistakes are part of the story. But I have to remember (especially when it comes down to those who have hurt me), mistakes are part of their story too.
Huh, it was healing to write that just now. Thanks, Chris.
you are welcome!