Big transformations can happen in just a moment. A moment that surprises you, and beckons you to participate—to step out of the ordinary to become part of an amazing story, rather than a spectator.

Life-Shaping Memories
I remember a ‘moment’ in my life, when, as a 12-year-old taking a typing class in summer school taught by the upper elementary school math teacher.  Mr. LaGarde. 

One day, during a break in our instruction, Mr. LaGarde sat down with me and another girl, and began to chat.  I remember him asking me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” 

No one, not even my parents, had asked me that question before. What do I want to be?  What do I WANT to be?  In that moment, it was like a light came on in my ‘person’ that had never been on before.  And I don’t think I had any real dreams at that time. 

A teacher?  Maybe.

A singer? That would be cool.

A nurse?  Don’t think so.

But something popped into my head almost immediately.  I am not even sure why I knew about this profession. 
 answered, “A psychiatrist.”

Mr. LaGarde seemed as surprised by that answer as I was. 
“What made you interested in being a psychiatrist?”, he asked.
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I didn’t have a prepared response. But a response came out of my mouth anyway.  Something like, “I want to help people. Like my family. Sometimes they argue and it’s really sad.”

From that moment on, I had a compulsion to learn about people and emotions. Though I did NOT become a psychiatrist or even a counselor, that moment made me suddenly aware of mental health (even though I wouldn’t have called it that). I would read about depression, and phobias, and anger issues.  I took counselling courses in graduate school.  And I toyed with changing my major several times before I graduated with an MA in Christian Communication.

Even so, a life-long interest in emotional woundedness began that day in summer school.  I suppose it would be labelled a core memory.

Core Memories?
While the animated movie Inside Out made the term ‘core memory’ popular, the mental health experts find that description to be simplistic—our minds are complicated, flexible machines.  However, “Core memory,” in the movie understanding of the word, might be defined as “a deeply emotional, formative event that profoundly shapes a person’s identity, or worldview.” (AI Overview, accessed 7/10/26).

No doubt, memories that tend to come to mind often (due to emotions we felt at the time, or the significance of the event), influence our beliefs and our ‘triggers’ and shape the lenses through which we view our world.  BUT, memories can be ‘re-written’ or ‘re-interpreted’ as we progress through life with new experiences that connect in some way with a memory.

Dramatic, impactful, and surprising events, like the assassination of a president, or the Apollo Mission to the moon, or the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center, become a shared, relatable memory among large populations who witness the events in real time.

If you witnessed any of these, you probably have an image in your mind of where you were and what you were doing when that news stopped you in your tracks. When something profound suddenly changed.
With that in mind, put yourself in this scene recorded in John 21.

A “Flashbulb” Memory for Jesus’ Disciples
Seven of Jesus disciples went out in their boat on Lake Tiberias to do some fishing, and they were out all night.  They caught nothing.  In the morning, they returned to shore.
Post-resurrection Jesus was standing on the shore when they drew near.  He called out to them, “Catch anything???”

I imagine them not even looking up to see who it was, and in frustrated unison yelling back a terse, “No!”
The man on shore calls out again: “Hey!  Try this!  Lower your net on the right side of the boat!”
They look up at this man, roll their eyes, and reluctantly they throw the net once more. 
“And the net was so full of fish they could not drag it up into the boat.”(John 21:6b)
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One moment:

• Discouragement.
• Frustratration.
• Weary.
• Bored.

Next moment, a strong pendulum swing to:

• Excitement.
• Surprise.
• Exhilaration.
• Minds on hyper-think capturing mental images of their struggle to drag in the fish.  Big fish. Maybe 100. Maybe 200.

 If that was not a gamechanger, I don’t’ know what a gamechanger is.

If the disciples had once again begun to settle into life BC (before Jesus) —just your day-in-day-out fishermen, then this event was about to shake them out of their defeated minds. 

John, the author of this gospel and self-proclaimed “favorite disciple” of Jesus, was the first to recognize Jesus.  John told Peter.  Peter jumped out of the boat into the lake and hurried to shore. And, true to who He is, Jesus was ready to feed them.  Feed them physically and feed them spiritually. 

It was in this scene that Jesus gave Peter an opening to reverse his three denials of Jesus before he was crucified.  Three times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love me?”  Three times Peter said, “Yes, Lord.”  And three times, Jesus charged Peter with caring for his sheep, his followers. 

Think about it.  Jesus entrusted His flock to Peter.  Jesus entrusted Peter with continuing the life or death work He started, with spreading the news of the Kingdom.

Peter,  John, and the other five disciples who were on that boat. . . what might they remember every time they fished?  Every time they SAW a fish? Every time they ate fish?

“Hey!  Try the right side of the boat!”  And then, I am certain their memory jumped to an earlier day when they were called by Jesus. “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

They did.  And everything changed.

To Make an Impact, Make a Memory
Jesus knew how to make an impression.  How to make a memory—one that brings with it all the images and the emotions, and the magnitude of His call on a life.

Like Jesus, like my elementary math teacher, or any person who strives to be a good guide to others—maybe me, maybe you—must recognize opportune moments for a formative memory.  One that instills hope, courage, vision, and that will stand against ANY untruth, or discouragement, or disillusionment.    

The Galapagos guides certainly facilitated activities that were so much more than just “go there, see this, take a picture, now on to the next thing” tour. 

• A simple, pointed question asked in a kind, but firm tone, (“Do you trust me?”) became, for me, a pivotal moment from fear to faith, from overwhelmed to overjoyed, from embarrassment to enchantment.
• A dinner activity in the palapa at Tortoise Camp became a joyous, warm, magical, joining together of hearts—a spiritually euphoric celebration that I re-live as if it were yesterday (two years later).
• A guide’s interest in a ‘witness wear’ t-shirt I wore: a sea turtle graphic with the words,“In oceans deep my faith will stand,” led to an unscripted, unhurried heart-level conversation I will always treasure.

​When a discerning mentor helps us notice and experience those potentially transformational moments; OR when we are honored to serve in that capacity for someone else, life becomes ABUNDANT LIFE in these divine clarifying moments—deeply felt, movie-like memories that should not be diminished.
 
Prayer:
Father, I am thankful for the mentors, encouragers, and memory-makers throughout my life.  Without them, who, and where would I be?  Some are aware of their influence, but most are not.  They simply share what they know, invite others in, and don’t let them off with an easy, “no thanks.”  Lord, I long to be that kind of mentor—someone who sees others through discerning eyes, who invites them to take one more step, who does not just go through motions, but lives the adventure every moment of every day. And at the end of THIS day, may I have a new faith-building memory added to the temple you’re constructing in me.
Amen

Our very experienced tour directors knew that each individual traveler would have unique expectations, unique needs, unique inclinations, maybe even to go a little rogue and get into ‘situations.’ Add to that a lack of familiarity with culture, there is great potential for things to go badly. 

We needed guides who were faithful to watch, listen, teach, and intervene when necessary. (See the introduction to Good Guy(d)s—the account of “Kay and the Quito Crafters.” Had I not been rescued by our attentive guides, I might still be in Quito, Ecuador!)

What if Andres and Jonathan had given us only “a talk” about snorkeling, then threw us to the sharks (so to speak)?   What if they had not taken us to a cove, where, under their watch, we practiced? What if we didn’t have a chance to get comfortable with breathing under water?  Would our deep-water snorkeling have been a good experience for all 16 of us?  They knew we needed to practice, practice, practice.

Luke’s gospel (Luke 10:1-16) tells us about the day that Jesus released 72 of his followers to regions He planned to enter later.  The 12 disciples had been following Jesus for a year or more, watching him, still coming along in their understanding little by little.  Jesus chose 72 more followers to be a part of this first mass outreach effort.

So, imagine sending out an army of 72 new disciples, only a few of whom were just starting to ‘get it.’  Knowing what they  might encounter, and what would help them accomplish their task, Jesus gave them instructions:

• First: Pray. Pray for a great harvest of souls who want a place in my Kingdom.
• You are like lambs.  Innocent, vulnerable, humble.  You will be interacting with those who are like wolves—hungry, predatorial, protective, and vicious.  Keep being lambs.
• You won’t need money, so don’t take any.
• You won’t need to pack for this trip.  Your needs will be met.
• Your objective is to reach the location I am sending you to.  Don’t visit with the people you encounter on the journey. Keep moving.
• When you arrive, go door-to-door.  Bless the homes as you enter them: “God’s peace  (shalom) be on this house.”
• Accept hospitality offered to you.  Stay in one home while you are there. Eat what they offer you.
• Towns that welcome you will experience the Kingdom of God. People will be miraculously healed.  
• Keep telling them, “The Kingdom of God is near you right now!”
• If a town rejects you, move on!  On your way out, wipe the dust of the town from your shoes and declare, “You guys are missing the Kingdom!   It is right here, and you are oblivious. You will be judged.  Your fate is determined by your decision.  There is nothing we can do.”

With that bit of instruction, the 72 went out.  When they returned, they reported to Jesus, “Even the demons obey us when we use your name!”  (This was their practice, practice, practice.)

Jesus, sensing their childlike enthusiasm, knew there was one more important lesson to teach, or they could miss the point, and chase the sensational for its own sake.

“The things you have seen with your eyes—they bring you joy and blessing.  You have seen what many kings and prophets have never seen.  They long to hear what you have heard, but they haven’t. These are wonderful gifts, but your rejoicing is ultimately for THIS reality:  YOUR names, my good friends, are registered in heaven.”

REJOICE! YOUR NAME IS REGISTERED IN HEAVEN

Imagine what that looks like. What that really means …

Your name. My name. Registered in heaven.  Imagine the implications of being on the Creator’s list of Kingdom citizens! What does that mean for here and now?  What does that mean for those we know and love—those who are also on their path to becoming, and those whose names are NOT registered in heaven?  What does that mean for the suffering in this present world?  What does that mean for the new heaven and earth to come?

We are already citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, but the ‘ways’ we know are the ways of the world. We have to learn, as fully as possible, HOW to live as Kingdom people, and then be good guides that teach and train others as well.

In Luke 19 we find the only account in the Gospels of a strange little man named Zaccheaus.
In 10 short verses, Zacchaeus’ reputation went down in infamy. Forever. . . 

• Chief tax collector in the region (Boo!!!!!)
• Rich and short
• Notorious
• Sinner
• A cheat

He even had a song written about him, likely sung by nearly 100 years of Sunday School goers.  Everyone knows about the wee little tax collector that climbed a sycamore tree so he could get a good look at Jesus.

And Jesus saw Zacchaeus.  In every possible way.

Now, in my imagination, Zacchaeus was very much like the miserly miserable Scrooge character in Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. We know he was very unpopular.  Likely hated. Possibly friendless. 

Imagine being in the crowd following Jesus.  When Jesus calls attention to Zacchaeus, how would you react?  I 'm pretty sure I would laugh.  It would be humorous and oddly satisfying to see the little man who charged me too much for my tax return get called out from his hiding place by Jesus. (Way to go, Jesus!)

But then Jesus says something totally unexpected.  “Zach!  Guess what! We’re on our way to a party! It's at YOUR house. I’m coming to hang out with you!  Today. Let’s go. Hurry!”

This wee little, lonely, miserly man freezes to process what Jesus just said.  Then explodes in a giddy excitement.  “Jesus is going to be MY guest!”

Some in the crowd were not so excited.  “Why would Jesus go to HIS house?  I go to synagogue every Sunday!  I tithe!  I am a good person! Zach is a cheat and a traitor to his people!”

It’s a relatable question. Why WOULD Jesus choose Zacchaeus to visit? Again, if I Had been in the crowd following Jesus through town,  I’m awed by him. I am moved by his teaching.  And suddenly he is going to the home of,  someone I used to work for, but whom I could never respect.  And Jesus chooses that former boss of mine to hang out with.  Why him?

Aware of the unspoken questions of the people, Jesus answers them: “The Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.”  Before the night ended, Zach said to Jesus, “I will use my wealth to care for the poor, and make restitution (times 4) to everyone I’ve cheated.”

Jesus, whom I am certain was smiling and looking with joy into Zach’s eyes, said, “Salvation has come to this home.”

I think Jesus might revise that leading quote, “God is great. Dogs are good.  People are the apple of my eye!”  
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Father, may I see people as You see them.  May I go to the people that you would go to. May I love them as Jesus loves them.   May those I interact with feel your presence and experience your love flowing through me.  Even if they are a little crazy!” 
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