I couldn't think of any kind of suitable title for the longest time! I even struggled to decide if this one would suffice or if it may be misunderstood. I picked forget me to immortality because of a quote I like from Martin Luther King Jr. in which he says, "Ten thousand fools proclaim themselves into obscurity, while one wise man forgets himself into immortality." I think the idea of forgetting oneself in order to benefit others is incredibly interesting. Perhaps I find it interesting because I was raised in Church and I have heard the story of Jesus Christ which to me is the greatest story of self sacrifice for the benefit of others. Perhaps, I find it interesting because I grew up with two parents who constantly showed me how to forget oneself and think of others first. They do this for each other daily and just celebrated there like one millionth anniversary, just kidding I think it was 34th. They do this for me and my two sisters daily and they do this for all the people in their workplace everyday. Mom and Dad often feel aches and pains but they rise early to get to work in the classroom or at the post office so they can provide for each other and for their kids!
Many times in the past couple months I've been asked why I work hard or why I have so many jobs or how I managed graduating in just 3 years instead of 4. I didn't know how to respond to that for a while because I never really thought about it as it was happening. If you stop to think about the weight of a challenge sometimes it will eat you, but if you just push yourself till you can't push yourself any more and then you push yourself a little bit more and then of course you get a little push from God you've probably overcome more than many men would even consider attempting. I never really thought about it because my parents and family in general have set the standard. If you ask me why I work hard I will probably now just compare it to my mom or dad's work and tell you how amazed I am by them. I don't mean just work as in the place that you make money either. I mean work on their marriage and work on creating a legacy carried out by their family and work on making other young people's lives better not settling for just getting it right with their own kids. My parents are incredible and I have never once heard them proclaim themselves as such.
To quote MLK Jr. once more, "Life's most persisting and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others'" The creator showed us how to do for others, so that the created can also experience the joy of doing for others. I have often thought the most pressing questions that everyone is dealing with in their own way were creator installed. If you haven't done for others in a while, just try it, do something for someone else and expect absolutely nothing in return, in fact you can try doing something for someone else that has no way of getting back up with you to return the favor, even a complete stranger. See if you don't experience a joy that is better than whatever the last thing you bought for yourself is bringing. There's something special about going out of your way to help someone. Giving, not receiving brings true joy to our lives.
I want to leave a legacy. I often wonder, "how will they remember me?" I would love to tell my story through this little blog but I hope that when it is all said and done, I did not proclaim myself into obscurity. I know the quality of life is more important than the longevity of life. I picked the title as a constant reminder not to proclaim myself, but to live for something higher than myself. I think that if I really want to have people talk about me when I'm gone I will have to impact their lives in radical ways and leave each person a little bit happier than when I found them.
I remember when I was growing up, during the years that my dad started a church basketball league for kids (I looked forward to this more than anything in the world at the time), his license plate said "LIV2SERV" That has stuck in my head and I'm sure it often kept him accountable by making that public statement that he should then live up to. Maybe the title of this blog will do the same for me. If I can forget me and do for others, maybe others will actually remember me and I will have a legacy that lives on and fulfills that immortality part of the quote! Forgetting myself also comes from Matthew 16:25, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it."
So that's the story behind the title of the blog and I hope I can remember those things more often!
