This photo is Moana-esque, yes, but, I think about memorials. The children of Israel made a memorial with stones to pass the stories of deliverance on to future generations who point, and ask why the stones are stacked. (Exodus 28).
Do you ever think about your impact on others coming along behind you?
Do you consider how your survival could motivate, say, me?
I do. I think about it a lot. On one hand, my thoughts about my memorial motivate me toward finishing more than achievement. I do not want a string of incompletes for a legacy. On the other hand, the memorial forces me to look at my parents and my aunts and uncles differently. The men and women who shaped my life in the early years... they wrote no books, made no breaking news stories, yet their impact is huge on my life.
In the movie Moana, the chief took Moana to the sacred ground where each chief before them laid a stone to indicate readiness for leadership. The chief told Moana that one day her turn would come. The chief said Moana would lay a stone like their ancestors.
Do we lay stones any more? I hope we do. I know I am not alone, but I do not see enough stone laying. Let’s press play and resume the examinations of our respective rich family histories. Let’s give the memories an extended shelf life. It is the best way to honor God, to honor our parents, to honor memories of forefathers, to honor legacy, and to honor ourselves...and our place in the world.
If you remember this little thought and care to share, as you build your memorials, show me your stones. Blessings to all.
Photo credit: Austin Neill on Unsplash
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