Last week, I talked about my family trip to Boston. One of my favorite things about vacations is that they can provide rest and a new perspective. My oldest daughter was excited to experience the Freedom Trail in downtown Boston. She had learned earlier in the year that her husband's great-grandfather (x 5) was buried in one of the cemeteries on the Freedom Trail. Both my daughter and son-in-law wanted to pay their respects. Later, one of my other children asked my daughter why she was so excited about it, since it wasn't her heritage. My daughter quickly responded, "I wanted to say thank you. My husband or children would not have existed if it weren't for him."
I reflected on this conversation later. Each of us, no matter how ordinary our lives may seem, is so important to God's plan of salvation. Our names may not be written in the history books, but they are engraved in God's heart. Every time we respond "Yes" to God, we have the potential to change the world. The measure of our success is not how we or the rest of the world view our lives, but how God sees them. God's plans are far greater than we could ever imagine, and this thought gives me great hope.
People may not know about our trials, failures, or joys in a few hundred years. Perhaps the only thing that may endure is a name etched in stone. Yet, I would consider it an honor to have a young family approach that stone and say, "Thank you, your life made all the difference in our lives." And I hope they thank God for all His Plans known and unknown to them in their next breath.
-Susan
