Starshine's Mind: The Nineteenth Ring

One of the most interesting and beautiful things about nature is that it keeps its own record. Have you ever seen a tree stump? Even if you haven't you may already know this, but for every year that a tree has lived, it forms a ring. This happens in such a fashion that if you took a slice of the trunk of a tree, you could count how long that tree has lived. Ecologists can even analyze what happened in certain years based on the markings or colors from different rings. A tree stump can tell stories of disease, draught, and years where life was thriving.

So this is my nineteenth ring. And even though past rings may be marked with pits or discoloration, every year I get a fresh start - a new ring to create. The amazing things about tree rings is that we can see how life moves on - whether the year was overwhelming, underwhelming, or simply there in the shade.

So far, I see this ring marked with scars from fighting - fighting for Christ. This year has been exhausting with all the faith challenges that have come up. From living on a campus that is dealing with racial and sexual orientation discrimination to dealing with the harsh family of my new friend to having my best friend on the other side of the planet for a year, it has been a struggle.

But in these struggles, I have found blessings. And one of them has a name - Sarah Basham. In the spring I got a call from a soworker at Great Clips saying that she might have a better summer job for me. She told me about a little girl named Sarah who has Down's Syndrome and needed a respite worker this summer. Even being raised around people with developmental disorders and traumatic brain injury, I wasn't sure that I was ready for this job. I talked to the family and arranged to meet them before I accepted this position.

That was the night my life changed. If you have never met an angel, then I'm not sure quite how to explain what it is like when you meet one. But Sarah definitely is one. She is an eleven-year-old girl who, although she must be reminded to go to the bathroom all day, every day, checks to make sure that you are okay at the slightest sniffle or cough. She is a fifth grader with no concept of passing time, and so asks for you every morning she wakes up, not understanding that you won't be home for months. And the next time you do see her, she will forgive and forget that you didn't see her sooner and run to give you the biggest hug her tiny self can give. She is a girl with endless patience and determination because, even though she still reads at a first grade level, is bound and determined to make it through her education. She shows love to every passing stranger she sees - saying hello and giving smiles. I have yet to meet anyone in my life who can strike up a pleasant conversation with someone in a public bathroom with someone they have never met, better than Sarah can.

My nineteenth ring will also be marked by an angel in my life who means the world to me and has taught me so much. Be bold and wise enough to recognize when an angel comes into your life - and never let them go.