Our Macek Maverick family phone calls continue, albeit twice a month instead of every week. Our format remains the same. Each of us takes a turn by composing a question and sending it out ahead of time and then discussing it on the night of the call. Even after three years of conversing on a regular basis, none of us have repeated the same question twice nor have we run out of things to say to each other. It would seem we’ve not exhausted our appetite for getting to know each other. Perhaps we are somehow making up for those lost years, the years we were silenced by the loss of our dad.  

Our Queries

The queries we pose are as unique as our personalities, and no two answers are ever the same. Our responses can be personal, brief or obscure depending on how much we want to reveal about ourselves. Given the time limit, about seven minutes per person, some of us formulate our answers ahead of time while others wing it. For me, every one of these calls is an opportunity to be brave. I am, after all, still the sixth of seven children and my older siblings are still, my older siblings. 

The most recent question posed by one of my sisters was, “Have you ever been encouraged or urged to change a set goal or agenda that disrupted your short term or long term course? The change might have affected your goals in career, family planning, self-improvement, or spiritual growth. Give an example or two and name a person who influenced the change and/or provided encouragement for you along the way.”

I had to reflect on and formulate my answer before that call. My sister’s query took me back to my teen years when really, all I wanted was to be happy. Back then, I was naive enough to believe that I actually possessed the power to create my own happiness. With this goal in mind and faith in myself, I set out to construct my own happy kingdom, so to speak. 

I moved to a beautiful part of the country, surrounded myself with like minded people, and pursued an education to advance in a career. Everything worked well except the career part. No matter how many jobs I applied for, no matter what part of the country I sent my application off to, I could not get a foothold with a professional job. Then, for the first time, I realized I did not have the power to create my own kingdom called happiness. 

It came down to two choices; to keep trying or give up. One evening, while all alone, I considered the option of giving up. My father had, and now I understood why. Feeling hopeless can be so powerful that you are driven to do anything to not feel its power. I came close to following in his footsteps until I heard an audible voice that I believe, came from Jesus, “You can choose life.” 

His brief appearance that evening was real. Real enough to make me choose life and change directions. 

To say the least, Jesus was the greatest disruption in my life that changed the course of my life forever after. 

Why bother changing directions? We may think we know the best route for our lives, but sometimes there is a disruption that can alter our route for the better.