Since March, when the lockdown for the coronavirus pandemic began in our country, I have used most of my newfound time at home to work on my autobiography. This may sound rather presumptuous or egotistical to some, but I am not doing this for publication. Perhaps my grandchildren may someday read it as a way to understand some of their own history. But I have come to realize that I am getting old and that when I look back on my life, I see patterns–I see God at work. He has blessed me beyond measure and I believe that it needs to be documented–not only for my family’s sake but for mine. With all of the discouragement and bad news that has been in the air (and on the air) in recent weeks, recalling and recounting the events of my life has been very therapeutic and encouraging for me. I am reminded of all the people who have been part of my life and who had such a powerful influence on me. I am amazed by all of the opportunities that have come my way over the years. I can see how God guided me through difficult days and helped me make decisions that had enormous impact on my life and the lives of others as well.
This project has kept me busy. I’m not sure when it will end. Of course, as long as I’m alive, the book will never get finished because … well, I’m still alive. But at this date (June 1) I have written more than 150,000 words and I’m really only through about half of my life (up to the year 1981). A lot happened between my birth year (1945) and 1981, but a lot happened between 1981 and today as well. So I’ll keep writing. It has been a very interesting process setting up a timeline. I can remember quite a few events that happened during my life, but I don’t always remember exactly when those events happened. Many of them run together–all the family events, speaking engagements, musical performances and the like. I did not keep daily journals for many years. I did find some old date books of mine which contained helpful reminders of dates and places, but mostly I’ve had to rely on my memory and several boxes of memorabilia and family photos that I have enjoyed going through. I am inserting photographs into this autobiography throughout the book which I think will make it more interesting to the reader, whoever that may be.
As I said, this is not a book that will be submitted to a publisher yet it may be my best work ever. That’s because I believe that God’s best work is found in the day-to-day lives that we all get to live. Regardless how long this pandemic lasts, I would recommend to all that rather than binge-watching another series on Netflix, take some time to reflect on the amazing life that God has given to you. Who knows, it just might become a best-seller!