where my life began

As I have reflected the past weeks and months over my life, my parents, relationships, travels and business, I've realised God has given me a great treasure of experiences to learn from and share. Looking back it has been a journey filled with growth, pain, joy, loss, and love. There have been stumbling blocks where I have faultered on along the way, times of strength and of weakness, people I have hurt and been hurt by, a multitude of experiences I would not trade for the world have all formed who I am today.

These last two weekends in Käsmu, have been gifts from above. Walking where my father once walked has given me not only a new perspective, but also given me pieces to the puzzle of my identity. Last weekend I met an older fellow who filled in alot of blanks regarding my father and his family, many things my dad never talked about, life stories I thought were lost forever. And rolled out before me is my family tree dating back to the 1700's, something I planned to research was just handed to me as a gift.

Why is this gift so timely and important? I've been thinking for some time to write my life story, being raised in Canada, moving to Estonia and all I've experienced along my journey. But along with lack of time, so many of the pieces have also been missing. I've come to understand much of who I am is actually a product of who my parents were and what they experienced along their journey. Now some of these missing pieces are falling into place.

So this is where I begin. In a way my life began along these shores, as who I am today has much to do with what happened here long before I was even born. So as i'm writing about my father, I'm also thinking how His life is reflected in mine. Puts an interesting twist on the thought the Psalmist shared, that God knew us long before we were ever concieved...