Do Something Great...

VolunteerMatch.org

Yes, I volunteered to help at Crisis Control Ministries & Habitat For Humanity. I thank God every night that I have a roof over my head...among other things. We argue that health care is not a right, but dammit, everyone needs to be able to lay their head down at night SOMEWHERE and feel safe.

And then I opened an email and read this:

DOING SOMETHING GREAT

When was the last time you were challenged to do something really... well... great?

President Abraham Lincoln helped me to understand that there is a bit of greatness within all of us. It is said that he often slipped out of the White House on Wednesday evenings to listen to the sermons of Dr. Phineas Gurley at New York Avenue Presbyterian Church.

He generally pre­ferred to come and go unnoticed, so when Dr. Gur­ley knew the president was coming, he left his study door open. On one of those occasions, the president quietly entered through a side door of the church, took his seat in the minister's study, located just off the sanctuary, and propped the door open just wide enough to hear the preacher.

During the walk home one Wednesday even­ing, an aide asked Mr. Lincoln his appraisal of the sermon. The president thoughtfully replied, "The content was excellent... he delivered with
elo­quence... he had put work into the message.."

"Then you thought it was an excellent ser­mon?" questioned the aide.

"No," Lincoln answered.

"But you said that the content was excel­lent, it was delivered with eloquence and it showed much work," the aide pressed.

"That's true," Lincoln said. "But Dr. Gur­ley forgot the most important ingredient. He forgot to ask us to do something great."

There is nothing wrong with average lives and average accomplishments. Most of the good of the world is built on the accumulated efforts of everyday people. But, as Lincoln seemed to know, a life should strive for some greatness.

Are you part of a relationship that, if given more effort, could be outstanding? Or do you volun­teer for an organization which is truly doing something excellent? Have you joined a cause that is attempting something great? Or have you ever said to yourself concerning a beautiful dream, "I could never do that," while knowing that if you were to attempt it and succeed, you just might ac­com­plish something significant?

If Abraham Lincoln is right, then every life should strive to reach a little further today than it did yesterday, for there is some greatness in each of us.

-- Steve Goodier