I grew up in a small, country town. No famous people. No
busy streets. Not much to do. Yet I’ve always been thankful
for my quiet, uncomplicated upbringing.
One evening when my husband and I were attending a
business dinner, a new acquaintance asked me where I was
from. When I told her, she said, “Aren’t you embarrassed to
admit it?”
Unsure whether or not she was joking, I simply said,
“No.”
Although my town was sometimes belittled for its lack of
sophistication, it was not lacking in things that matter. My
family was part of a church community in which parents
brought up children “in the training and admonition of the
Lord” (Eph. 6:4).
Jesus also grew up in a small town: Nazareth. A man named
Nathanael asked, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
(John 1:46). Jesus proved that the answer is yes. Even
though He grew up in an insignificant place, He was the most
significant person in all of history.
Experience taught me and Scripture
confirms that what matters is not where you grow up
but how you grow up. Sometimes we feel
insignificant compared to sophisticated people from
prominent places. But we are significant to God, and He can
make us strong in spirit and filled with His wisdom.
O teach me what it cost You, Lord,
To make a sinner whole;
And help me understand anew
The value of one soul! —Anon.
What we become is more important than where we’re from!
