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I recently went to a birthday celebration for a 100 year old local gentleman. His mental faculties are still sharp and he’s still got a terrific sense of humor. The birthday observance was tied in with the monthly meeting of our local Historical Society.
What an honor to be there and commemorate this man’s life and hear the fascinating stories from some of his peers. He is a WWII and Korean war veteran. I know he was a friend of my father’s and if my father were still alive, I know he would have enjoyed being there so much.
Actually, I attended the event with my father’s sister, my Aunt Polly Ann and my cousin Peggy. The three of us enjoy stories about our hometown and it’s history in general.
This past summer the three of us, along with our cousin Lucy and her husband Mel were on the planning committee for our family reunion. Over 180 attended and it was definitely a date with history!
We spent a lot of time creating story boards with pictures and excerpts from our genealogical research to regale the family with memorabilia. All throughout the event venue were stories of our families past. In fact, we were celebrating over 230 years our family has lived in Florida.
I believe it is important to know where we came from. It helps to guide us to where we are going, transcending us into something better, improving the present version of ourselves into wiser and more guided individuals. And let’s face it, we all have ancestors who exhibit characteristics we wish to not be associated with. And has that also shaped us? Has that created a drive in us to be the more improved versions of those we follow after? I’d like to think so.
And you know, we find a similar case when we look at our savior Jesus Christ and his lineage in that he had some relatives with unsavory pasts, too. In Matthew 1, we find the genealogy of Jesus back to Abraham. And in Luke 3, we find the genealogy all the way back to Adam. And although the two versions are different, some say that Matthew was following Joseph’s line and Luke Mary’s, we find that not all of these people were upstanding citizens of their time. For instance, three of the four women mentioned were not exactly virtuous in nature. They had a history of making poor choices and themselves had broken pasts.
Of course, this is not to insinuate in any way that our LORD has any reason for improvement. As we know He is the only perfect one. However, it does give us insight into the lives of His ancestors and it teaches us that no matter where we come from, no matter even our own past failures and imperfections, we can find a way to improve our situation and be a beacon of hope to others around us. We don’t have to continue to choose our past mistakes or model ourselves after those that came before us who made poor choices. We can go forward and create a new path, one that inspires not just ourselves but others too, to be better. To make better choices. To live exceptional lives. Lives that make those around us look on in wonder and want that same thing.
And the best thing about all of that is, He forgives us. He doesn’t expect perfect. He takes us just as we are. And then it’s up to us to shine our light on others to make them, and us too, better people. We, as Christians, are their hope. Just like Jesus, when He was sent by the Father to live amongst us, teach us, and then make the ultimate sacrifice and die for us.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16-17
May you, my friend, use what you’ve learned from the stories of your ancestors, your close relatives, and your own past, and employ it to improve your own circumstances. I hope also that you’ll choose to share the greatest love story the world has ever known and allow it to transform your heart and to affect change in others, inspiring them to do the same.
Shine your light ever brighter because of it. ~Dale
