December 4, 2014 (Thursday)
Last night I watched, “First Man on the Moon,” a PBS Nova program about Neil Armstrong and his friends, coworkers and family. As the events in his life unfolded on the program, I was impressed again with him and his accomplishments.
Neil Armstrong kept telling everyone that he did not go to the moon alone. A tremendously large group of people participated in the event in numerous ways over many years. It got me to thinking about my own life, and how I owe so much to so many people.
Hillary Clinton wrote a book entitled, “It Takes A Village,” that emphasized the importance of all the people who influence us as we grow to maturity. Not having read the book, I really do not know what it says. She has been sharply criticized for the ideas expressed in the book, but it is an undeniable fact that we are nurtured, taught, led and shaped in many ways by the people who enter our lives as we move through this life.
If I were to try listing all the people that I know have influenced me during these 83 years I’ve lived so far, I would be overwhelmed by the process, because there have been so many wonderful people that God has graciously placed across the paths that I have trod. I thank the Lord for every person He has sent to shape my life in positive ways.
The same is true for you. Perhaps we all need to sit down and try to name the people that have blessed us, directly and indirectly, both near and afar. Then we can thank the Lord for each one whose name we can recall. As we “count our many blessings, naming them one by one,” surely they include precious people.