Have you ever come across an old photo of yourself and don’t remember the event? When my cousin found this picture neither one of us could actually recall having driven that buggy on our grandparents’ farm in Iowa. Except that the photo was labeled with our names, and there I was holding the reins and heading out on life’s unpredictable pathway. I wonder if I kept that horse in line?
Reflecting on the picture so many years later, it’s clear to me that individually we are in charge of where we are going and how we get there. Decisions have consequences. Crossroads must be navigated. Visions and goals can be interrupted by wrong choices, unpredictable circumstances or even divine intervention. Nevertheless, we remain accountable. We are holding the reins. Truthfully, we are one hundred percent responsible, as daunting as that may be.
And so an image from the past drew me right through a lifetime of lessons, into the present and on to the future.