I just placed a neatly folded piece of paper beside my laptop. It is there to help frame my thoughts as I compose these lines. Before I tell you about this little card, I’d like to share a few of the lines inscribed on the inside. They are:
What one has, one ought to use;
and whatever he does he should do with all his might.
If you Google these words you will discover they are attributed to Marcus Tullius Cicero, who lived more than two thousand years ago. No doubt, they have inspired many to pursue noble causes throughout the ages.
Clearly, they meant something to me. My wife’s older sister named Jana included them at the bottom of a note of encouragement she gave to me during my first year as a student at the Sunset School of Preaching back in 1981. I’ve kept it in my special box all of these years.
Now, twenty-eight years and a few days after she handed this card to me, these words have taken on a whole new meaning. You see, it was about this time last year that Jana became ill. Then, within a matter of just a few months, she was no longer with us. Cancer had claimed another life.
So, although the words she shared with me are thought to have originated with the highly esteemed Cicero, he casts only a small shadow over this note. When I read these words each night, I remember Jana’s sweet smile and servant heart. I remember her deep love for the Lord. I remember her passion for studying the Scriptures. I remember her dedication to teaching the lost and building Christ’s kingdom. I remember her kind thoughts of me. And, I remember her earnest encouragement to reflect on the talents and abilities God has given me. I think seriously about whether or not I am using them as I ought to be using them. And, I ask myself whether or not I am working with all of my might for the Lord and for His glory.
And, so it is that this little note inscribed with ancient words nearly three decades ago encourages me more now than ever before. To be sure, Jana is missed by her family members, who continue to mourn her passing. I ask you to remember them in your prayers as the anniversary of her departure approaches. I also ask you to reflect on how this one little note given to me in February of 1981 continues to touch my life each day. Giving me this note involved only a small investment of time and energy on Jana’s part, but it is producing high returns.
May God help us all to be such wise investors.
© Bill Williams
2009.03.09
![64200: Everyone"s Guide to Hebrews](http://ag.christianbook.com/g/thumbnail/6/64200t.gif "64200:
Everyone"s Guide to Hebrews")
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