Handprints in Concrete

This was posted on Inspiration Lamp Post on Monday.  I hope you take a look at the website!  They have some great programs that you can look at by clicking the link at the top of the page.

It was hot, the boys were sweaty, but it was done.  We now had a new door leading to the basement.  Right in front of it, they had just set a flat slab of wet concrete in preparation for the steps we would soon put in.  We proudly lined up, all 11 of us, to make a handprint and write our name next to it.  Then laughing, we ran to the hose to wash off the wet cement before it dried.

That was the summer of 2014.  Now, if we were to go and look, we would still be able to clearly see the prints we put there two years ago.  And as long as the concrete stays there, our marks will always be there.

A little over 200 years ago, in 1809, a little boy was born in Hodgenville, Kentucky.  As the boy grew up just like any other little boy would, there didn’t seem to be anything particularly special about him.  And yet, after years of hard work on his part, he became the 16th president of the United States and one of the most famous.  Abe Lincoln’s mark on history will never be forgotten.

Growing up, Abraham Lincoln loved books.  He read them all the time, even while performing other tasks.  Education was top on his priority list, and that’s what he spent his time on.  As he got older, he began working hard.  He threw his heart and soul into everything he did, and he made sure what he was doing was the best thing.  Though his family was not wealthy and couldn’t provide major opportunities for him, Lincoln worked on building his own mind and body.  By the time he was elected President in 1860, he was full of experience, wisdom, and knowledge.  He was the right man to lead our country through one of the hardest times in its history, not because of fortunate upbringing or “fate”, but because he had chosen to immerse himself in the best things he could.  He didn’t waste his time on things that didn’t benefit him.  The effort he put in made who he was, and he was great.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, a man’s influence swept across British India and inspired the world.  But Mahatma Gandhi had not always been the powerful, peaceful man he is known to be.  It took years of painful trial, mistakes, and great challenges before he decided to change, but that change altered the world.  The great effect he brought on many people has never faded, and men and women alike will continue to look to his example forever.

Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi was a shy child, afraid of everything.  He didn’t do well in school.  He was married at age thirteen, barely graduated from high school not long after that, and failed in college.  His marriage was rough, and he seemed to have no hope for a bright future.  He didn’t succeed at becoming a lawyer in London, but it was there that he found himself.  Nothing made him change: he exerted his power of choice and took a step back.  He admitted what he was doing wrong.  He recognized the examples and sacrifices of others.  He decided to change.  What a change that was!  Some would say his nature was altered, but I believe he simply discovered his true nature.  But whatever happened, it had a great impact.  His life was never the same, and it changed the lives of countless others.  And it was all because he took control and made a choice.

What do Abraham Lincoln, Mahatma Gandhi, and handprints in concrete have in common?  None of them will ever fade.

Let’s say I’m walking along the side of the road and come across a muddy spot.  If I press my hand into the mud, will the mark last?  No.  Even if it dried untouched, it would eventually fade or become wet again, and probably wouldn’t be there a week or two later.

Now let’s say I’m walking down the road and I come to where they’re laying a new sidewalk.  If I press my hand into this, will the print stay?  Yes, and it will be there until the sidewalk no longer exists.  

Likewise, when you’re travelling the road of life, you have two options: spending your time on things that won’t last, or making a mark that will permanently change the world.

When you’re on this great Road of Life, you may be looking at the aforesaid two options and not even know it.  I’m sure all of us have made plenty of handprints in mud.  There might be a few of us who have made some prints in concrete already, who knows?  Some of us may have passed over the wet concrete, deliberately or without knowing.  Still more of us may feel forced to make a handprint against our will.  Whatever the circumstance, one thing will never change.  That thing is your own power to choose.

Like Abraham Lincoln, we can choose to spend our time on the things that will truly benefit us.  We can focus our willpower on building our minds and bodies in order to better perform our mission.  Like Gandhi, we don’t have to let our circumstances or our past decide who we will become.  We can take hold of our lives and choose to make a difference.

The names of Lincoln and Gandhi were not well known when they were younger.  Most other famous, historic people were not born that way.  Their choices are what made them great.

Making a handprint in concrete doesn’t have to mean changing the entire world or spreading your name across the globe.  It could be making a profound impact on someone’s life.  Being a good example for someone else can change their life forever, and they will never forget you.  You are capable of making a permanent mark on this world, no matter the size.  It may not be your lot to be famous.  But then again, that could be your mission on Earth.

No matter your purpose, you are meant to make a difference in some way.  When you work to focus solely on the best things, the things that build and teach you, you will be led to fulfill your mission.

Somewhere out there, a square of wet concrete is waiting for you.  You may even be able to see it.  Do all you can to work toward it.  Someday someone will look back with gratitude and admiration on your handprint in the concrete.