Tuesday, October 18, 2005

Ordinary People

Take heed to yourself, . . . lest you forget the things your eyes have seen . . . . And teach them to your children. —Deuteronomy 4:9 Deuteronomy 4:5-14

David Isay, a radio producer, says that in a culture inundated with the stories of celebrities, we need to hear the recorded voices of ordinary people, because their lives and contributions are no less important. Isay is a driving force behind StoryCorps, "a national project to instruct and inspire people to record each other's stories in sound."
It's a great concept, especially for Christians. Think what it would mean for your great-great-grandchildren to hear and see you telling the story of your life—describing the people and events that shaped you and sharing what Christ means to you.
Just before God's people entered the Promised Land, Moses told them: "Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren" (Deuteronomy 4:9).
That same responsibility of face-to-face communication is still ours. Yet we have the unusual opportunity of leaving a message for future generations. Begin recording your own uniquely important story. Or help a friend or relative record theirs. There is great value in the stories of ordinary people who know and love the Lord. —David McCasland
Life's truest heroes never carve their nameOn marble columns built for their acclaim;They build instead a legacy that springsFrom faithful service to the King of kings. —Gustafson
A life lived for God leaves a lasting legacy.