“The greatest surprise in life to me is the brevity of life” #BillyGraham

In late May or early June of 1975, John H Starkey from the Indianapolis Star contacted me asking if I’d be interested in doing a one day photo shoot. He explained that it would be scheduled in June and that it was for a July Sunday Star Magazine story titled, “Summer Days and Daisies,” to which I agreed. I was 20 years old, working full time at Olson Electronics, and living in Indianapolis, my home town.

On the day of the shoot we actually didn’t find any daisies but did find plenty of Black-eyed Susans. Thus, the writer edited into the article the Black-eyed Susan connection, as it was originally planned to be an article about daisies. The article included my name, comments about the connection between Black-eyed Susans and daisies, and several stock photos of daisies. So yes, it was fun and no, I don’t remember the name of the young man in the background; he was just one of John Starkey’s friends.

In retrospect, improvising the use of Black-eyed Susans, and the writer having to re-write his story was a providential life lesson for me, although I didn’t recognize it at the time. That is, our lives don’t always fit a planned script, and many times things turn out differently than what we may have originally planned. In any case, and I what I came to learn few years later, when we make Jesus the Lord of our life, His plans are always perfect; in all things, in the joys of life, in the sorrows of life, and in our everyday life. God is sovereign over all. 

Just as July 27, 1975, was on a Sunday years ago, so it is on July 27, 2025, a Sunday. Exactly 50 years have passed and yet in my mind, 1975 seems like just yesterday. It actually is hard to believe how fast time flies, but it most certainly has.

The Bible warns us that, “Man is like a mere breath; His days are like a passing shadow.” Psalm 144:4

Yet, the good news is that, “The one who believes in me, even if he dies, will live. Everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this? ” (John 11:25-26)

#JohnHStarkey, #ElaineQueryCrandell, #SummerDaysAndDaisies, #Daisies, #BlackEyedSusans, #IndianapolisStarMagazine, #July1975, #Faith, #Plans, #GodsPlansArePerfect,  #InAllThings, #JoysOfLife, #SorrowsOfLife, #EverydayLife, #GodIsSovereignOverAll, #ManIsLikeAMereBreath