Record-keeping is vital to cordial and competent functionality.  In our nation, we have birth records and verifications of every kind for diverse purposes.  Falsifying records is unethical and, in some cases, illegal.  Lack of record-keeping begets confusion, and insistence on no tracking methods can be a shield for nefarious deeds.  There may be no consensus on which records merit preservation, but their points deserve protection.

Each of us compiles an earthly record of deeds.  It is difficult to assess the facts since motivations are in play, but we did what we did, and it is what is.  Well-wishers will smile and dismiss our foibles while adversaries obsess over our smallest flaws.  We do the same to others.  At some point, we must join Solomon in disregarding some criticisms.

The pot judges the kettle, so to speak, when judging quality on human terms.  Everyone fails the gold standard, yet discernment is important, and life without discretion impossible.  The Bible teaches us that value judgments are necessary but must be adjudicated with humility and mercy.  Still, you and I leave marks which cannot be erased, and we suffer by comparison.

People may be more or less honorable than their deeds.  While tempting to label, it is unfair to characterize people by singular (or minority) actions.  A still shot from movie will not accurately portray the plot or any essential elements of the production.  Likewise, snapshots of our lives may picture us as saints or scoundrels apart from context.  The concerned will not forget, however, that it is easier to tear down than to build.

Occasionally, a person’s actions are within the realm of acceptability, but not conformity.  We can confused the right with the norm and disallow the southpaw.  A nonconformist may be often nonemployed as the approach offends more than the ethic.  While bystanders will express admiration for the maverick, they will mostly not support the cause of the lone wolf.  The pack is more comforting than the chill wind of pioneering, but the left-hander is a valuable asset to any pitching staff.      

It’s a lonely voyage to the Island of Misfit Toys.  The outsider will be misunderstood as he’s not wrong, he’s just different (nod to Willie and Waylon) and his pride won’t let him do things that only seem right.  Bitterness becomes a constant, if allowed, in the life of the fish out of water (as well as, the fish in water).  Looking back, we see things deemed important fade in the context of time.

You and I have a record and a reputation in real time.  They were gained with or apart from reason, but there are there.  It is instructional and inspirational to understand that these are not the only records.

Job said his record and witness were in heaven.  God is watching us from a distance, and His judgment is the one that counts.  What others understand darkly, God understands full well.  The question of our lives regards whether or not we have attempted His will, pleased others or forged a path of self-aggrandizement.  The heavenly record will not be forgot.    

When we face the final curtain, it will be too late for a do-over.  That which we would achieve, we must attempt.  Even now may be too late for some deeds, but nothing is impossible with God.

Sterl