Glorious Flaws, Cherished Faults & Beautiful Offenses

I have had people ask me why I love researching history & genealogy so much. To answer that question, let me give an analogy concerning Dance of Marriage. 

May I Have this Dance?

I have been married over 22 years. In this time, I have discovered that it is not a short dance, but it's a lifetime of rhythmic moves that affects future generations. This dance will encompass many seasons of change. All these must be done in unison. Many times the unseen conductor brings both partners into new varieties of music that have never been experienced or practiced before. This dance requires continual cooperation from both partners. Since we are human, there are obvious mistakes that will cause each partner to question their companion’s gracefulness in recovery and stamina in the marathon. In every flaw we see in our partner, we must see the glory that awaits them at the end of this season of their life or the end of their life’s journey. We must forgive the faults of each other that have entangled themselves into our character like briers and thistles. These faults can cause scars, not only to ourselves, but to their dance partner. Lastly, we must not harbor a laundry list of offenses, ridicule and disdain. But, we must be a continual cleansing tide of forgiveness who continually offers a hand up.

In all these things, we must mature in order to look back and glean a lifetime of lessons. There is no way I could have learned these intricate steps of the dance called “Marriage” without my wonderful dance partner, my wife.

Back to History

In the observation of history, whether it be local, regional, or world, we too must look at every flaw with the glorious expectation of what is still possible from the lessons we have observed. In every fault, we must see every scar of the past as a glorious marker in time in which tragedy leads to a new birth, awakening, or renaissance. In every offense, we must vow to release those whom we deem as unworthy, desperadoes, tyrants, or villains. In all these things, history reveals hidden objects and obsessions that were one concealed in many hearts of the past and our own. As we peer through these doors, we may open the skeletons in our closets and expose our own weakness. When we do, we will look back and glean a lifetime of lessons.

Whether it is the Ozarks’ History or some other account, may we all bow to our partner and learn the lessons of a life’s story that untimely affects us all.