For me, 2020 and now, 2021 have all been marked by what I call “Come- to- Jesus Moments.”

Come- to- Jesus moments are transformative for me, full of messages and meanings, most of them secular, some religious.

Every one of them changes me and awakens me and challenges me. After every come- to- Jesus moment, I am different, often in ways I may not see or understand for months of years.

Most often, I am better for them, wiser and more reflective.

My driving off the road and into a ravine was definitely a come -to Jesus moment. So was each one of my three surgeries this year.

Donald Trump’s election in 2016 was a come- to- Jesus moment.

So was his frightening effort to overturn a legal and fair election.

Trump’s cruelty, crimes against humanity, corruption, and finally, sedition were come- to- Jesus moments for me and many other people.

These moments marked 2020 and the years before it, they came in torrents, often daily, and inspired me to deepen my spiritual life.

The realization that so many millions of people were accepting his lies, and rationalizing, excusing, and supporting his cruelty and dishonesty were significant come- to- Jesus moments.

A national come- to- Jesus event was not only the Capitol assault but the realization discovery that so many of our leaders and citizens chose to support his dishonesty and criminal behavior, and still do.

A come-to-Jesus moment has literal and figurative meanings, some religious and some secular.

The term originated more than a century ago, it was used to describe a Christian religious service where it was hoped that worshippers and converts would dedicate their lives to Jesus.

These days, a come-t0-Jesus moment might refer to the moment in which a person has a religious conversion and dedicates his life to Jesus.

But I use the term in a more secular way, as do many people. It has morphed into common usage.

My come-to-Jesus moments refer to a point in time when I have a realization, become awakened or enlightened, or understand the core values that I need to preserve when I’m in a difficult situation.

When my car slid off of the road last Friday, and I thought it was about to roll over with me trapped inside, I thought of how precious life was, and how much I loved Maria and I tried unsuccessfully to text her to tell her how much she meant to me.

There was no cell service. But the feeling is still inside of me.

My open-heart surgery was another such moment.

In a different sense, so was the time our point well pump broke down on the eve of the coldest weather in a century. If we couldn’t fix it – and nobody wanted to come and try – our pipes would freeze and so would food and medicines and the warm water to our farm animals would be cut off.

When I first had to shoot a lamb in a blizzard because he was in great pain and no vet could get through, that was also an awakening for me – about mercy, responsibility, and strength.

Many charismatic preachers traveled across the country in the 1800s and 1900s holding camp meetings or tent revivals, which were enthusiastic religious services.

Today, the come-to-Jesus meeting has taken on a figurative sense, often used in politics, business and parenting. When one has a come-to-Jesus meeting with another, this is often seen as an opportunity to point out where someone has taken the wrong path.

Part of Donald Trump’s sickness is that he rejects any suggestion that he is capable of a mistake or obligation to be truthful, and transfers those traits to his supporters. I suspect that in the 1800’s he wouldn’t have gotten away with those behaviors.

Come-to-Jesus moments are more personal than come-to-Jesus meetings, and I think are often missed or dismissed.

A figurative come-to-Jesus meeting is never pleasant, it is often the last attempt to straighten someone out before dire consequences are enacted.

The secular come-to-Jesus moments are softer less dire. But to me, they are especially significant. I am not a Christian, I do not worship Jesus as a God, although when Trump was elected, I did decide to devote much of my work and passion into caring for the elderly the vulnerable, and the refugees – a come-to-Jesus idea that is almost literal.

Every one of those moments for me has been humbling, has opened me up, awakened me to something I hadn’t seen or dismissed too easily.

Unlike Mr. Trump, I see those moments as messages for me, often a call to listen or change or be grateful for what I  have, rather than resentful for what I don’t have.

Every death of a dog is a come-to-Jesus moment for me, a chance to be thankful for the short time I have with these wonderful creatures. These moments have helped me to be more honest and self-aware.

There is a religious strain in my moments, in that they inspire me to follow the values of Jesus Christ, perhaps the most inspiring values I have read about or come to understand.

I know some people disapprove of the use of the term come-to-Jesus in a secular way, and while I understand that, it is to me, a respectful term full of meaning.

These moments are the structure and spine of my spiritual growth and self-awareness.