by Martin Wiles @LinesFromGod
I remember the day and the place. July 20, 1969. I was nine years old. Well, almost. In the middle of a hot Southern summer, I sat in our den, cooled, I’m sure, by a window air-conditioning unit, awaiting a historic moment in American history.
The black-and-white 19-inch television sat on a shaky stand, not attached to a secure stud on a wall. I kneeled on our couch, awaiting the grand moment many Americans thought was NOT happening. Believe it or not, many thought no one had been flying around in space and certainly would not be walking on the moon’s surface. The government was pulling our leg. But I believed it—and wanted to see it.
Sure enough, moment by moment, announcement by announcement, slowly, the monumental event unfolded. Apollo 11 landed on the moon, the hatch opened, an almost alien-like creature emerged, and humanity made their first step on the moon. Neil Armstrong said of the event, “One small step for man; one giant leap for mankind.”
But what most people did not know was what he carried with him—another historic moment had happened years before. On December 17, 1903, at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first motor-powered airplane flight. Although their contraption only reached an altitude of eight feet and traveled 120 feet, it was a moment never to be forgotten. And Neil Armstrong didn’t. In fact, the Wright brothers could never have imagined how far and high their plane—or parts of it—would travel.
Inside Armstrong’s personal preference kit lay a 1.25-square-inch piece of muslin fabric cut from the left wing of the Wright brothers’ airplane and a piece of spruce wood taken from the left propeller. Armstrong strolled with those two pieces of history inside his spacesuit as he took that moonwalk—a tribute to the Wright brothers.
Armstrong recognized that he stood on the shoulders of many who had gone before him and had now made his historic step possible. We do, too, as writers. None of us have arrived where we are by our own ingenuity and creativity. Other writers—and yes, editors—have propelled us forward, making us better writers. Thinking we’ve accomplished our journey by ourselves only leads to pride, and pride leads to a downfall.
Among the many who have helped me, Cindy Sproles heads the list. She had the courage to tell me to “quit preaching” in my writing. I did and was amazed at what a difference it made. Years later, she privileged me with managing the Christian Devotions website, which helped me sharpen my editing skills. Soon thereafter, Edie Melson extended me another privilege: writing for this website.
But according to Peter, our highest tribute should be to the Savior we follow: “And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it” (1 Peter 3:15 NLT).
Neil Armstrong paid tribute to humans. We are privileged to pay homage to an eternal God who loves us immensely and gives us the ability to take divine dictation.
As we enter this New Year, don’t miss your chance to pay tribute first to God and then to other writers and editors who have helped you on your writing journey.
TWEETABLE
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