You Are Not a Coincidence

I came across this beautiful video produced by FamilySearch for their 2014 RootTech conference earlier this week and I had to share it. 

I could share several more videos produced by FamilySearch that I love, but I'll let you go watch them yourself. I just love this and their other videos. They are so wonderfully done. 

This video got me thinking about how we all at one time or another feel isolated, alone, unwanted, unloved, rejected, scared, and not enough. Those feelings come to all of us. Some feel this way on a daily basis for many reasons. We feel like we don't have a purpose. Many of us have even felt that there's no reason to continue; that our family and friends would be better without us. 

This is simply not true. 

For anyone feeling any of the above I want you to read what I'm about to say very carefully. 

YOU ARE NOT A COINCIDENCE!

If you don't believe me I want you to consider the following. 

This picture is what genealogists/family historians call a fan chart.

The very center of the fan chart is you. From you spans out generations of the past-your ancestors. As you move farther back the fan gets larger-from just 2 (your parents) to hundreds. It grows exponentially every previous generation. Do you understand why this visual is so significant to you and who you are?

You see, it took all those generations, all those people to result in YOU. YOU are the sum total of all those people. 

When I think about this I get quickly overwhelmed. To think that the journeys, choices, and experiences all came together and resulted in my life is mind-blowing. 

Do you understand how amazing that is? How amazing you are? Even if you don't believe in a God or higher power it is still incredible how all the events form the beginning of known existence all worked in a way that resulted in your existence. 

Everything that you are from the shape of your eyes to your health and even to your character are intricately influenced by all those who came before you. And it doesn't stop there. Think of all the indirect influences that go into this fan chart. All the friends, coworkers, acquaintances, mentors, leaders, historical events that shaped your ancestors, which in turn has shaped who you are. 

A couple years ago Emma and I had an amazing experience doing family history work. We discovered that many of Emma's ancestors are buried here in Utah where we live. We figured out where they were buried and took a couple family trips to visit their graves. We took pictures with many of them with Emma and our children next their headstones. 

Afterwards we spend the next several days doing some research on these and many other ancestors in both our lines. We found incredible stories about their lives. Stories of faith, sacrifice, loss, adventure, service, and joy. We felt excitement and wonder as we learned about their lives.

What we didn't expect to experience was healing, comfort, strength, and a greater sense of self. Emma discovered that she came from a long line of incredibly strong women who faced overwhelming odds and came out triumphant. She came to love these women and she has told many of their stories to our daughters. 

I learned the stories of many of the men in my line who sacrificed everything, even their very lives to protect their families, freedoms, and in pursuit to carve out a better life for their family. 

We also found stories of tragedy and ancestors who were not as respectable, and then how the next generation broke the cycle and created a new way of life for their posterity. 

We felt that we had literally expanded our family circle with people who understood, accepted, and loved us. We felt like we had a whole army in our corner who was pulling for us. It was an amazing experience. We realized in that moment that we are never alone and never would be. 

You see, you carry with you all the stories of those who came before you. They are with you. Knowing your family gives you resilience. It gives you a greater sense of identity and purpose. You are the sum of hundreds .You carry on their work, their legacies, their hopes and dreams, their strengths and traits. 

The Chinese people tell the legend of the red thread. The legend states that we all follow a red thread in life. This thread leads us to our destiny. In a way, the past generations of your ancestors are a red thread to YOU. They have passed that thread on to you, and you will pass it on to the next generation of your family. 

You are not an accident or a coincidence. You carry the strength of all those who came before you. You are loved. You are not alone. If you don't believe me, just spend some time getting to know your family line. You'll be amazed at what you discover about yourself through the lives of those who came before you.