Gari Meacham - Watershed Moments: Turning Points that Change the Course of Our Lives

Acknowledgments are the first place I turn to when I look at a book because I love to see whos behind a writer. Im fascinated by the people who help an author bring words to a page and meaning from lifes pulse. It is with extreme gratitude that I thank those who help me craft meaning from the pulse of my life.

To Bobby all our late-night talks and early-morning prayers sustained me throughout this process. You are my compass. Without you Im adrift.

To my mom, Joy, my dad, Gary, my sister and brother, Maureen and Sean Im forever grateful to have been born into a family that has taught me love and grace with such authenticity.

To our children, Brooke, Ally, and Colton; and our grand-kids, Reese and Roman your smiles, stories, and passion inspire me to capture life on a page.

To the women at Second Baptist Church in Houston every tear, every round of applause, every story you shared inspired me to write about our watersheds.

To John Sloan and Dirk Buursma your talent and grace as editors leave me challenged and improved.

To the entire team at Zondervan marketing, curriculum, sales, and design Im in awe of your tenacity and vision. So thankful to be a part of it.

Most important, to the cross the ultimate Watershed, which has left me forever changed.

The night before I gave birth to our third child, I paced back and forth across the blackened pebbles of our driveway. My husband had taken our four- and three-year-old daughters to the unexpected funeral of his mom on the West Coast. With a travel advisory on my late pregnancy, I remained at our temporary home in New Jersey to prepare for our third Cesarean birth. This child was a son, and instead of being excited to view his sweet face the next morning, or feeling anxious that my husband could be delayed in his flight plans and not make it home in time with our two little lambs, I paced the driveway, muttering the same line over and over to a faithful friend who spent the evening comforting me: Why have I done this to myself again? I know exactly what to expect, and I chose to do this a third time!

I was lamenting the pain I knew was inevitable the transition I feared would sling me into chaos. After some early use of my deep breathing techniques meant for labor, I finally whispered, This is a point of no return. Theres no going back. I have to go forward.

Whats embarrassing about this point of no return is that I have faced many challenging moments that far surpass childbirth suffocating moments, perplexing moments, moments that left me begging God to show me his providence.

Our lives are defined by such moments. Some moments pass like the flicker of a winking eye you barely know theyve passed until your eye has closed and reopened, ready for its next blink. Other moments leave you marked decidedly different from before.

Some moments are laced in glory, joyously happy and giddy in their birth the moment a man asks a woman to be his bride, the moment you accomplish a goal that seemed impossible, the moment you surrender to God, who beckons you.

Others are tinted with a haze that lifts like fog once we accept their presence a moment that disappoints, a moment that infuses fear, a moment when we raise our hands in confusion. These are the watershed moments of our lives the moments God uses to mark us, move us, and alter us for good.

A watershed moment is a turning point brought on by circumstances that stop us in our tracks. Some call it an epiphany. A moment when everything changes. A point in time when nothing will ever be the same. Like a compass that provides direction, these are the moments that move us to new ways of thinking, relating, discerning, and accepting lifes challenges.

In the first part of this book, I share how God uses watershed moments of change, awareness, and restoration to groom us for future glory. Not the kind of glory that spouts praise and accolades for tasks weve accomplished, but glory that wells up when maturity is having its way.

When I was a kid, I loved the thought of becoming mature. Maturity meant I could stay up late, watch different types of shows, eat what I wanted, and push the boundaries of a curfew. But I seldom hear adults begging to mature. We want to stay youthful, free from responsibility, and comfortably detached. The truth is, without moments that sculpt the clay of maturity in our lives, we remain ineffective blobs pleading for purpose. Watershed moments of change, awareness, and restoration shape us so God can lovingly transform us.

Next well look at the watershed moments that loosen our need for control and approval. Without these moments, our grip on life is so tight that our knuckles may pop. I have to laugh at the ways I think I manage my life, ways that must provide God with his fair share of entertainment.

I remember hearing a man tell a story that explains this perfectly. In the midst of pain and confusion at his circumstances, he went out to the wooded area behind his house to take a walk. While he strolled under the pine trees, he began to feel a release of tension as he lifted his hands in praise. Suddenly, a small bird landed in his outstretched hands. It literally sat there, peacefully perched in his hands. The man was stunned and instantly shouted to the Lord that this was his miracle the moment hed been waiting for when everything murky became clear. Before he finished his sentence, the bird relieved himself all over the mans outstretched hands! At first he was appalled, but then began to laugh as he realized how little control we have over anything even the moments we think weve figured out.

Finally well delve into the watershed moments that empower us to face evil. Evil wears many masks, and as we pull away the scary images that pin us down in fear, were free to experience a new kind of watershed the watershed of belief. These are the moments of reckoning in which we march and conquer that which has for too long conquered us.

How can such a word define the essence of the moments that unravel and restore us? How can a watershed moment lead us to the brink of what weve been and create a bridge to what well become? Im both fascinated by this word and inspired by it because God is at the helm of our watersheds, using precise moments to mark momentous transitions and upheavals that take us from one point in our lives to the next.

Even history is defined by the watershed moments that help carve out its destiny. I was surprised by the conclusions of an article called Top 10 Watershed Moments in History. Heres how the scholars ranked the watershed moments that changed the planet: