I just got back from a trip to my hometown. I have not lived there in many years. The legacy that I left there is nothing to be admired. By chance, I had a conversation with a young man who said that he had heard a lot about me. I grew up with both of his parents and his landlord is also an old friend.
My reputation in my hometown goes all the way back to my college days. I was very wild back then and I did not have a conscience. Well, I did have one; I just avoided paying much attention to it. I am fortunate to have survived those years.
I told my mother about the conversation with the young man. She was not surprised. She said that people frequently say those things about me to her. She added that she tells them that I have changed a great deal for the better. I think that she is right, although I cannot take credit for the change.
I grew up in a Christian church, but I went along with it only on Sunday mornings. When I left for college, I was determined to have fun and entertain myself. My father once said that I had a triple major in college: pool hall, dining hall, and alcohol.
The people in Arkansas remember my infamous legacy. The people in Texas know me as a person who has been very active in church life and outreach to the poor. I served our former church as an elder for many years and as a staff pastor for two years. I am spending my retirement raising young boys that we adopted out of the foster care system.
I am not looking for a pat on the back. I am just pointing out that I went through a tremendous transformation about twenty-five years ago. If I had not had my outlook, philosophy, morals, conscience, and mindset totally changed, I would not be an adoptive parent and our adopted children would probably be separated and languishing in the foster system.
I can take no credit for the change of heart. It happened rather quickly and caught me by surprise. I will write about my transformation tomorrow.
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