Another Morning Wake Up Call
Monday, March 22, 2010 at 11:23AM By Lynn Selich
First, I would like to thank the many Daily Voice readers who contacted me about the column I wrote about my brother’s murder entitled “Blind Sided.” I was moved by how many people shared equally horrifying experiences, or just sent a note of encouragement and thanks for my sharing something so personal. My fear and insecurity of revealing something so painful was dissolved by your comments. I thank you.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about looking forward to attending another OC Mayors Prayer Breakfast, wondering what I would learn this year. As usual, the event did not disappoint.
No matter what we believe in – and boy, did I get a lot of comments from my “OC Mayors Prayer Breakfast: Food for Thought” column when I pondered where we and our leaders derive guidance in this life – most comments I received confirmed that people do believe in a higher authority than man. Leave it to bringing up religion or politics to spark passion among people, and I think I nearly started a forest fire. For the most part, finding divine inspiration – particularly in today’s fast-paced, no-time-to-sit-and-ponder world – people commented that their belief in “God” was that beacon.
Along with more than 600 other guests, we showed up to the Hyatt Irvine at the early hour of 7:15 a.m. for the OC Mayors Prayer Breakfast. At the head of the room, some of Orange County’s leaders, both civic and religious, joined forces on the dais with the morning’s keynote speaker Jim Daly, president and CEO of Focus on the Family and author of the book “Finding Home.” The dais included OC Supervisor John Moorlach, Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang, Costa Mesa Mayor Allan Mansoor, Huntington Beach Mayor Cathy Green, Laguna Niguel Mayor Linda Lindholm, Mission Viejo Mayor Patricia Kelly, Dana Point Mayor Pro Tem Scott Schoeffel, Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry, along with Pastor Jeff Gipe from the Newport Coast Lighthouse Church, Capt. Aaron Serrano of the U.S. Marine Corp, and the morning’s Master of Ceremonies Pastor Eric Heard of Mariners Church. It was an impressive show of support and leadership.
Before I get into the meat of the message, I have to say that my favorite part of the morning was when Captain Serrano introduced a table full of U.S. Marines in attendance, who were met with a spontaneous standing ovation from the entire room.
Brief presentations by the honorables, each with a proclamation from their city and some with anecdotes on their perspective of faith and focus, prayer and the political landscape preceded Jim Daly. Sukhee Kang, mayor of Irvine, commented eloquently that his faith guides both “what we believe, and what cannot be understood,” and noted that leadership with a spiritual heart is needed most now, that holding to higher standards assists leaders with the guidance they all need particularly in these challenging times. Newport Beach Mayor Keith Curry said that to be a good leader, one must employ wisdom, justice, fairness and grace each and every day – not always an easy task. Mission Viejo Mayor Patricia Kelly shared that at one parochial school in her city, a class of third graders had “adopted” her, saying a little prayer for her each day after they said the Pledge of Allegiance. She paused and said that some days, when faced with tough decisions or agitated constituents, she really feels the need and is grateful for those prayers.
Then Jim Daly stood at the podium and began to tell his story – the room was riveted. Daly managed to convey his harrowing story with compassion for those who failed and abandoned him throughout his childhood with grace and a sense of humor. Heartbreakingly personal, he talked about the abuse, alcoholism, and his mother’s death from cancer that left him orphaned at an early age, only to witness the worst scenarios this world has to offer. Before he even reached the age of 18, he had lived in 23 different homes. But throughout his story, he kept pointing back to those who along the way, managed to show him tiny glimpses of kindness – Godliness – that helped him to hang on to hope for a better life, and that eventually led him to believing in God, setting him on a road to become a great leader who is hailed as a champion for literally thousands of families. He revealed that God is involved in every aspect of our lives, that there are no accidents in life, and that brokenness can help us to become “better, not bitter.”
Our hostess and chair of the event, Pam Curry (whose husband is Mayor Keith Curry), has become a friend, and I am always amazed at her perky tenaciousness. Pam is a cancer survivor, and we have shared some very impassioned conversations on how faith keeps us going when we think we can’t take one more step. She is a brave and determined advocate and tireless volunteer, particularly when it comes to the weeklong Orange Coast Christian Outreach Week of which the breakfast is one of many events she oversees. With all she has on her plate, I had to admire her cheery demeanor, especially that early in the morning. When I asked Pam what she thought the event represented and why it is important for her to support, she replied, “Well, my friend and client who attended the breakfast I think said it best: ‘This morning was a wake-up call'. He'd been focusing on his education and his physical health and (being here this morning) he realized he needs to focus on faith and his spiritual side.”
My takeaway from the event: When life throws its worst at us, there are those who manage to eventually come out the other end a more polished stone after being relentlessly tumbled about, thanks to their faith. Jim Daly’s story of finding God through adversity is a powerful reminder – a wake up call to remember the importance of grace in our daily lives – even when it is hard to find. Once again, I took away from the event the sense that I am not alone, that faith is and will remain the rock on which many stand each day, and that when the challenges of the future arise, we will not stand alone.
Columnist Lynn Selich resides with her husband in Newport Beach. Her regular column runs every Monday. She can be reached at lynnselich@roadrunner.com.
Reader Comments (2)
Wonderful article, Lynn.
Nicely written Lynn. As an Atheist, of course, I believe that one can find grace in their daily life without God or other higher power and would love to see all governmental institutions keep religion separate, but I can say that I do understand why people use religion to gain strength in tough times and help them be better people. I enjoyed this article as I have all your others. Keep up the good work!