The More Famous John Waldron

 

“You know, the Waldrons were horse thieves who fled Ireland because they would have been sent to prison if they didn’t run to America?” I asked my family.

“Where did you hear that?”  My beautiful bride asked, somewhat skeptically.

“Well, my great uncle was doing research on ancestors and such and that’s what my grandfather told him.  I think he was just being silly though,” I said.

“I don’t think I’d like to have ancestors who were horse thieves,” Victoria said. 

“True,” I said.  “Most people look for royalty and fame in their family trees and brush over the black sheep.”

“I wonder what sorts of horses they stole?”  Elliot asked.

“Let’s ask Google,” I said.  Google listened to my query and then told me that while horse thievery was common in Ireland, there was no evidence that the Waldrons stole more horses than anyone else.  In fact, Dr. John Waldron of County Tuam bred a famous racehorse name Faugheen.

I was impressed.  I didn’t actually know if I was related to this other John Waldron, but clearly we had much in common – other than the racehorse thing.

I know a lot of people explore their genealogies, what I have noticed is that mostly they are looking for famous people that they are related to.  Somehow it is better to be distantly related to a baron in Upper Silesia than an excavator in lower California.

“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”   Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.” (I Peter 5:5,6)

Most of us want to be known by others.  If other people won’t blow the trumpet for us, we are forced to toot our own horn.

The Bible makes it clear that if we are humble, God will elevate us in His own time.  On the other hand, He resists and brings down the proud men and women of this world.

It is hard to be humble, hard to acknowledge our weaknesses and struggles, but it is far better to do that than to pretend that we are something we aren’t.  At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter if we are related to horse thieves or a famous horse breeder, what really matters is that we know Jesus and the power of His appearing.