This week I heard one of the most profound observations that gave me a veritable feast of food for thought. At Russell M. Nelson’s 100th birthday celebration the Reverend Amos C. Brown said, “He has justified his existence in this world; he did not just exist.”
I love that! But, what does a person do to justify their existence in the world? I can look around and see people who invent great things, who are philanthropists, who take care of people around them, who are teachers, scientists, and more. Many of these are very blatant examples. But what about me? I mean, what exactly have I done that would allow such a quote to be said in reference to myself?
This may seem like a tangent, but it really isn’t. On 9/11 I read a story about a young man who rescued many of his co-workers from the Twin Towers on that fateful day in 2001. One of those who credits their survival to this man, Welles Crowther, remember him saying as he re-entered an upper floor’s office space after helping an initial group climb down to a safer level, “Everyone who can stand, stand now. If you can help others, do so.”
I think that no one would blame Welles had he continued his descent with the first group and therefore survived. Apparently Welles would have blamed himself, however. He took it upon himself to climb back up dozens of flights of stairs to reach more people and save them as well. He got that group down, by the way, but while trying to save even more people – most of whom he apparently didn’t know – he lost his own life. I think that it’s fair to say that Welles “justified his existence in the world.”
I think that it’s important to say that one doesn’t need to literally die in the service of others in order to do more than exist.
The LDS hymn, Have I Done Any Good by Will Thompson, sums it all up pretty well for me:
Have I done any good in the world today?
Have I helped anyone in need?
Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?
If not, I have failed indeed.
Has anyone’s burden been lighter today
Because I was willing to share?
Have the sick and the weary been helped on their way?
When they needed my help was I there?
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.
There are chances for work all around just now,
Opportunities right in our way.
Do not let them pass by, saying, “Sometime I’ll try,”
But go and do something today.
’Tis noble of man to work and to give;
Love’s labor has merit alone.
Only he who does something helps others to live.
To God each good work will be known.
Then wake up and do something more
Than dream of your mansion above.
Doing good is a pleasure, a joy beyond measure,
A blessing of duty and love.
I have spent a lot of time this week pondering this. What have I done that day that makes the world a little better for someone else? I hate to admit it, but there are days when I can’t think of anything. Ouch! It sometimes feels hard to find those opportunities when one has little interaction with other people. Even then, however, I honestly believe that there are things that can be done to ensure that I am more than existing.
I’m not going to make a list of things that can make a difference, for that list is unique for everyone. We all have our own life situations to deal with after all. I will say this, however. I believe that every last one of us can make a difference every day with someone. It doesn’t have to be a big life-changing earth-shattering kind of difference, but just a positive difference.
Elizabeth laughs at me because she thinks I spend way too much time thinking about my funeral at some far distant day. I just want to argue, however, that anticipating the end of the story, knowing what you want your legacy to be and how you want to be remembered, can help us formulate the individual chapters of that story.
I want nothing more than to have it said that I justified my time on this earth and did more than exist. I have a lot of work to do if I’m going to accomplish that. As that great writer, Geoffrey Chaucer, wrote in his book, The Canterbury Tales: “potiusque sero quam nunquam.” In other words, better late than never!
Have a great week!
Look to God and Live... Joyfully! 