I’m Ken Jones, and this is A Classic State of Mind, with A Word About … Almost

My normal routine, virtually every day, includes an early-morning drive.
Before there’s much traffic.
Before there’s even much light to see.
I make my way to a little coffee hut in our village, a drive-thru.
I order a small, black triple-shot Americano with extra room, but no lid.
(I don’t like to drink coffee through a plastic lid.)

Routine is what it is.
My early morning routine includes not only the coffee,
But a short drive after that.
A drive with no destination; only an agenda.

And the agenda is … Time.
I take time to pray for the people in the houses I’m driving past.
I take time to think, too.
Think to myself.
Think, all by myself.

Well, as I drove this morning, sipping my strong coffee and thinking,
I pondered a word, as I prayed for the people in the houses I drove past.
Not a ‘big’ word, as words go.
And yet, in terms of implication or impact or meaning in life,
It would not be an overstatement, I think, to say it is a monumental word.

It is the word, “Almost.”
Almost: ‘Very nearly, but not quite,’ reads the dictionary.

When I think about how many things in my life didn’t happen,
But, almost happened,
All kinds of emotions bubble up.

Things I almost said, but I didn’t say.
Things I almost did, but then, I didn’t do.
Successes I almost achieved; very nearly, like the dictionary says, … but not quite.
Disasters that almost befell me.
And moves I almost made, but then decided against.

There are so many scenarios in my life that would have had profoundly different outcomes,
If it hadn’t been for ‘almost.’

At one point in my life, I thought I wanted to be a professional newspaper reporter. I almost did it, too. But almost isn’t close enough.
I’ve experienced accidents that almost happened, too. How about you?
And there have been cars I almost bought; Decisions I almost made.
Appointments I almost missed.
I’ve even been so sick I almost … died.

Of course, I’m not the only person on earth whose life would be profoundly different, were it not for that ‘almost’ reality. As I’ve talked about the ‘almost’ events in my life, perhaps you’ve thought of some of those almosts in your life, too.

In The Book, the Apostle Paul has a potentially life-altering discussion with Agrippa. Check it out, if you don’t believe me. Acts 26:28.
There, you will find that word.
That ‘very nearly, but not quite’ almost that would have eternal consequences for Agrippa.

One more thing:
I have to admit it.
It may seem strange, or weird, especially at this point in this piece.

But, I almost didn’t write about almost today.
I almost wrote about something more important than almost.

Then, again, I’m not sure there are many things more important in my life than what almost did or didn’t happen.

How ‘bout you?

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