Deuteronomy 6:11-12 “ and houses full of all good things that you did not fill, and cisterns that you did not dig, and vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant—and when you eat and are full, then take care lest you forget the Lord….”
His words humbled me.
I found my eyes getting misty as I listened to the former LBC president. His prayer prompted the college faculty and staff to remember. We were there that day because of others who came before us. We shared in the privilege of working at a place where someone had previously dug wells and filled the house with good things. His words reminded me I was part of something far greater than the present moment. I’m a piece of the ongoing legacy of Lancaster Bible College. I would not be teaching there had it not been for the “wells” others dug. But more than that.
I live in a beautiful farmhouse because of the seeds planted by someone else. Within its walls we raised a family, discipled fellow Christ-seekers, and entertained angels. Celebrations from marriages to birthday parties as well as passages from life to death have echoed in this place I call home. But none of it would have happened had my husband’s parents not previously planted “vineyards and olive trees” on these grounds.
And what about our country? It’s often noted we experience the kind of freedom we do in the United States because of the sacrifices others have made. We hear phrases like “We will never forget” but I’m afraid we too often do forget. And we fail to appreciate the long line of fellow countrymen and women who gave themselves to secure the liberty we’ve come to expect.
Before Israel entered the Promised Land, Moses cautioned the people to remember the source of their abundance. God was giving them land, a beautiful land filled with good things. They had done nothing to earn any of it. Someone else had done the work and the Lord was allowing them to benefit from it. That awareness should protect them from pride.
It’s humbling to realize we’re a part of the enduring saga of humanity on the earth. Every day affords us the opportunity to remember we belong to this great story because of Someone Else. May it cause us, always, to fall on our knees in humble gratitude.