What is Greatness?

I have always loved reading biographies—wonderful histories that share the traits and choices that make someone … well, SOMEONE. I’m fascinated by greatness in people. What, exactly, makes someone great?

According to the dictionary, to be great is to be distinguished or eminent—so as I read a biography, I’m looking for what makes this person unique when compared with anyone else?

Sometimes I find myself frustrated because the writer has cleaned up the subject too much—so that the person reads like a perfect little mannequin brought to life at exactly the right moment, with all the necessary skills and traits in place to handle their defining moments. For myself, I find that I stumble through most of my defining moments—often making mistakes along the way and developing better traits of character because of my mistakes.  

In fact, many of the greatest people in history were great because of their weakness!

Helen Keller: an American author, political activist, and lecturer. Would she have risen to such great heights if she hadn’t first had to overcome blindness, deafness, and muteness?

Would her beloved teacher, another of history’s ‘Greats’, been as willing to dedicate her entire life to teaching and guiding Helen, if Anne Sullivan hadn’t first lost her entire family, along with most of her own eyesight?

Or what of the genius of Albert Einstein? He wasn’t able to speak fluently at the age of 9! We revere his intellect, yet he had been labelled by his teachers as mentally handicapped.

Florence Nightingale not only had to fight against her own family to pursue nursing, but she had to turn her back on a culture that expected well-bred, wealthy, young ladies to only marry and have children. She overcame these and many other obstacles because she felt that “God called me in the morning and asked me would I do good for him alone without reputation.” In other words, would she be willing to sacrifice her reputation to do good for God?

These people and so many others were great because of obstacles that they had to first overcome. I have always wanted to be something more than just a mediocre woman—but talent has thus far eluded me. I enjoy doing many things, but as the old adage says, so I am: “Jack of all trades, master of none.”

In starting this challenge, I was guided by God. I was impressed that this was something He wanted me to do. Despite having a year ahead of me full of incredibly time-consuming tasks, I felt deeply that this was a special opportunity given to me to really make a difference. When I began, I depended on the knowledge that where God commands, He provides a way.

So, if He wanted me to do this challenge, it must be to accomplish something great, right? I would become Someone through this! Finally, my cherished hope would be realized. … or not.

I have not become Someone the world wants to know every detail about in the hopes of emulating my not-so-stimulating life. But I have learned that despite not becoming the end-all-be-all of my cherished childish hopes, I CAN become everything to someone.

I am everything to the man who a few weeks ago struggled in the grocery line and, for one precious moment in time, I was allowed to be an instrument in God’s hands—showing compassion and care for one of His precious sons.

I am everything to the widow my children and I visited Sunday—who rarely leaves her small 2-bedroom apartment and rarely has visitors.

I am everything to my husband when he comes home exhausted from trying to provide for our family.

I am everything to my darling four children when they come home from school and want to chatter about every detail of every moment we were apart! (I did mention to the baby of the family that Mom really didn’t want to hear every detail about the boy who threw up in class yesterday …)

I am no one special, with no greatness about me, nor any especial talents. But, the Lord is teaching me that He needs me to serve. There are so many, many people who need someone, with no particular skill set, to just love, just friendship, and just be there.

This last week, after taking my children to the old folks’ home and visiting with the afore-mentioned widow, we were strolling out of the hallway and into the lobby to leave the building. As we walked through, a group of six or seven elderly people complimented my children on their looks. (I DO have cute kids!)

We stopped, and they began to inquire after my children’s interests and, before long, we were sharing pictures and stories of their grandchildren and children and even great-grandchildren! They were interested in every detail my children had to share. After quite a long visit, we headed home and everyone cheerfully waved good-byes. I was struck by how very, very grateful they were to simply have someone to talk to. There they sit, the ladies all wearing make-up and dressed very nicely—waiting for something to happen.

Do we treat our elderly like refuse, leaving them alone until life is through with them—putting them on the curb of life for the garbage men to eventually haul away? I think our culture does. If you disagree, go into an old folks’ home and walk the hallways. I have, in several different locations. They all share the same feature of people sitting, lonely, desperate for someone to care about them—not just their physical needs, but about who they really are.

Perhaps that is another lesson this journey along the Road of Jericho is to teach me—to value a person and to make time to be with others. Am I one of life’s ‘Greats’? No. I am me and it is enough.