The Paragraph

Recently, in addition to our History curriculum,  Dylan has begun typing reports about important Historical figures. He is a huge History buff anyway, but he has also been learning to type correctly,  so he really enjoys this assignment.  Yesterday he was typing a report on Eli Whitney. (He's the man who invented the cotton gin.) As Dylan typed I heard him say, "Wow, this man sure did accomplish a lot in his life!" 

After hearing Dylan say that, I expected to see several typed pages of information about Mr. Whitney but when I looked at the computer screen, this is what I saw. 

Mr. Whitney's life was summed up in one long paragraph written by my son, who considers this a lot of typing. (He's in for a real shock in middle and high school! Hahaha) 

I haven't been able to get this picture out of my mind. It really struck me. Eli Whitney lived 59 years. He was a husband, had two children, went to Yale for his college education, was an engineer, and invented the Cotton gin. His mother died when he was only 11 years old and then he suffered with prostrate cancer and eventually died from it. As I have thought about this man and the life he lived being summed up in a few short sentences, it has made my heart sad. If we really thought about all that his life involved, and spent the time to truly uncover all his hard work and all his feelings, fears, and the pain he endured, it would probably take a book to contain it all.

Sometimes God speaks to me in the strangest of ways. I was honestly sitting on my bed, folding piles of laundry, while Dylan was typing this report. God used this simple scenario and the image of this paragraph to speak right to my heart.

My piles of laundry....

 What are the most important things? What words will fill the paragraph someone might write about me one day? Would the paragraph show evidence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within me? Would people know by reading the report that I listened to my Heavenly Father, obeyed His word, and loved His children? Would I be proud of the words written about me? Would the typed words bring glory to God?

Sometimes we get so caught up in the day to day details, the things that really don't matter all that much. I mean honestly, no one knows or even cares how dirty or clean Eli Whitney's house was or if his kids wore matching socks. So why do we often think details of our lives are the most important things? I am so guilty of this. 

Eli Whitney's life was so much more than what Dylan typed. There is so much more to our lives than what will be remembered when we're gone. BUT, it is important to realize that the things that truly matter, will be the things that we'll be remembered for one day. The things that bring hope and joy to others. The things that change the atmosphere around us. The things draw others closer to our Heavenly Father. The things that cause others to feel valued. Those are the things I want to be written about me one day.

Today I am grateful for the ways God speaks to me. He is always at work, always revealing little truths to me, in my everyday life. Who knew I would learn so much while folding a bunch of clothes! I am also grateful for the truths that He is teaching me. As I continue to pray for Him to mold me into the wife and mommy He made me to be, He continues to reveal the things that are REALLY important. If anyone writes my "paragraph,"  I don't want it to be about trivial things I did with my time. I want it to be about the relationships I've cherished, the blessings I've bestowed, and the ways I've ushered the Holy Spirit into situations. No matter what goes on in my life, may my "paragraph" be full of things that truly matter.