Article April 13, 1998 Issue

What matters most?

Take stock of life's most important benchmarks.

By Mark Swinney

Have you ever thought about the important waypoints of your life? The most significant events and moments? The first time I stood up on skis or hit a baseball or drove a car by myself—those were significant moments for me. Other events stand out in a much more meaningful way, events that mean more than words can express. For example, when my wife said yes after I asked her to marry me, or the first time I saw each of my children. Such moments and events are different for everybody.

What about the experiences that change one spiritually? I still remember how I felt the time someone first prayed for me. And I recall the incredible glow that I felt after reading about Jesus for hours one day when I was ten. Then there was the wonderful discovery that I could pray about and actually be free of injustice. Next, my prayer and listening to God revealed that He loves me dearly and that I have a specific role to play as His expression, as each of us does. Then there was the day I was healed through prayer, in an eye-blink, of a broken collarbone and torn ligaments, and I learned that one's perfect identity is the most wonderful, spiritual gift God gives us.

I could go on and on, yet this article isn't intended to be about me. It's about you. Whether you are anticipating your first moment of spiritual awakening or building on a lifetime of inspiration, it is well to understand that divine Spirit, God, is the substance of being. Spirit supersedes everything else. Therefore, when you think back, there clearly are moments when you know you've been touched by God's presence.