When I was in elementary school, a long time ago, in fact, in another millennium, we remembered a man whose birthday is tomorrow, because he was an exceptional man. He was a man who fit the statement, “He was born for such a time as this.” Just as Esther found herself in a position to do something for her generation, this man did too. In one documentary I watched recently, he supposedly said he didn’t want to die without leaving something that people would remember him for. Well, he accomplished that.

I suppose we all feel that way to some extent, but few achieve worldwide fame that will be recorded in the history books. I recently told Marlene that one of the realities of life is that fifty to seventy-five years after we die, very few will even know we lived, and yet, what we do with our time on earth can ripple through the ages.

I’m reminded of an old song. “Leave behind, oh leave behind. What will I leave behind? After I leave for world’s unknown, what will I leave behind?”

Humanity often faces moments of crisis that require exceptional people to bring about a desired outcome. The truth is, it’s not just humanity as a whole that faces moments of decision; each of us individually do as well, and those decisions will not only impact us but also the people around us. While the history books of Earth may never record our names, what I do today will echo in eternity.

He was born into what could accurately be described as acute poverty. He lived a hard life, suffered many losses, and ultimately paid for his decisions with his life. But Abraham Lincoln made a difference. At the dedication of what became the Gettysburg National Park, a portion of his speech said: “The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.” While our words may not be remembered for long, what we do with our lives can reverberate through time and benefit many people.