I remember spending countless hours in front of the mirror during my teen years. To me, so much of my life depended on my current hair style, the clothes I wore, or the state of my acne. I was constantly worried about what other people, especially my “friends,” thought of me. And the whole basis for my self-evaluation was my outward appearance.
I also remember during that time trying to know more about God. Books on Zen Buddhism and other Eastern thought were popular in the early 1970s. I vividly recall sitting in the rocking chair in our basement wondering about my destiny. I even tried to read our Jerusalem Bible, but gave up in the genealogies at the beginning of Genesis. I deeply worried about my future. I was taught that if I committed even one mortal sin before death, I was doomed to a fiery eternity in hell. I did not know the Creator as a personal Father. I did not realize how much He knew about me!