Create Something Beautiful

Many years ago a boat was wrecked in a storm on one of the Great Lakes. Rescuing teams were sent to help, including one made up of Northwestern University students. One student, a young man named Edward Spencer, rescued at least sixteen people from the sinking ship. When he was carried exhausted from the scene, he could only say, “Did I do my best? Do you think I did my best?” Years later, at a class reunion, one of the speakers recalled this act of heroism. Someone called out that Edward Spencer was present in the audience. Spencer was invited to come forward. Old and gray now, he made his way to the podium as the assembly cheered and applauded. The speaker asked him what in particular did he remember most about the event. “Only this,” he replied, “of the sixteen or seventeen people I saved, not one of them thanked me.”

The Old Testament people of the Exodus realized that God’s mighty acts…