Are You Part of a Famous Family?

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Henry Ford

Teddy Roosevelt

William Rockefeller

Cornelius Vanderbilt

Do you ever wonder what it is like to be closely related to a very famous person? I don't mean famous in the smaller sense, I mean famous as in being written about in history books and having documentaries and even movies made about you. Do you ever think about what it was like being the son or daughter of a Vanderbilt or Roosevelt or Rockefeller? What if you were related to Martin Luther King or Henry Ford or Bill Gates?

Bill Gates

Let’s say the famous person was your grandfather and he was an important part of your life for many years… in fact, he is still alive today and he is still an important part of your life. As you matured, you were able to get to know him as more than just a relative or a famous someone that others had heard about…you are able to spend time talking with your grandfather and learning more and more about him. Your grandfather shared things with you that have helped you navigate your life and you know deep in the deepest part of your heart how much you love him and how much you are loved by him. Even though he is extremely well known and famous, to you he is almost like your closest friend and you know that you are a very important part of his very large family. You are aware that his fame came with sacrifice to himself personally but, he was willing to do it because he knew that the people that came after him would benefit from what he did.

I often wonder how people that are related to very famous people talk about them when people inquire. If someone asked about your famous grandfather, would your first inclination be to recite the many things written about him in the history books? Would you describe his accomplishments and talk about what he has done? Or would you just tell them who your grandfather is to you and share what an incredible influence he has had on you and in your life? Would you talk about his nature and tell about the reasons that you love him so much. Would you describe what it is like to be a part of his family? I wonder. See, I think people that are closely related to famous people see them not necessarily as others see them…not the way the writers of history books and movies see them. They know them intimately.

I don't know about you but I don't have any famous people in my family. You won’t read the name Toomey in any history books. The only “famous” Toomeys I know are/ were Regis Toomey (an actor), Bill Toomey (won the decathlon in the 1968 Olympics), and Pat Toomey (a politician in Pennsylvania.) So the hypothetical question I have posed is not one that I have ever had to address.

But, you know what? I am related to a famous person, written about in history books, portrayed in movies and known the world over. His name is Jesus. And I am a part of His family.

When I talk to others about Jesus do I recite what has been written about Him in history books or do I tell people about the relationship I have and the incredible influence He has made in my life? Are you related to anyone famous?

Are you somebody?

Seems like an innocent enough question doesn't it? The answer is obvious...of course you are. But what about all those people that make the headlines and the nightly news? Aren't they the real somebodies in the world? They get all the attention; they are the people that everyone notices...if even for only a brief time.

Rick Santorum, Jeremy Lin, Rush Limbaugh, Mitt Romney, Rory McIlroy, Benjamin Netanyahu, Justin Bieber, Newt Gingrich, Kate Middleton, Kobe Bryant, Charlie Sheen, Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Danika Patrick...all well known, all making the headlines. Somebodies. Politicians, athletes, business leaders, celebrities. In our culture, these are some of the most important people around.

Remember Paris Hilton, Anthony Wiener, Floyd Landis, Rob Blagojevich, John Ashcroft, Lindsey Lohan, Glenn Beck, Barry Bonds, Dennis Hastert, the Jonas Brothers, Roger Clemons?...I could go on and on. These folks were pretty famous too...for a while. Now they are either no longer in the limelight or even worse, have become infamous for all the wrong reasons.

In August 1997, Princess Diana was killed in an automobile accident in Paris. The wife of Prince Charles, Diana was one of the most famous and beloved women in all the world. She certainly was famous as the beautiful bride of the heir to the throne of England. She was young and beautiful. She was involved in several worthy causes including the work to eradicate leftover land mines in various places around the world where wars had been fought.

Five days later, Mother Teresa died in Calcutta, India at the age of 87. Mother Teresa was a Catholic nun who spent 45 years serving the poorest of poor in India. She won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

What was remarkable to me was the difference in the reaction to the deaths of these two women. Thousands of people wept and placed flowers, teddy bears and other tributes at Kensington Palace making a pile nearly 5 feet deep as a show of sympathy to Diana. There was nothing resembling this outpouring of adoration for Mother Teresa. I wonder why?

By the world's standards, Diana was beautiful...Mother Teresa was not. Diana was royalty, enjoying all the benefit and entrapments that provided. Mother Teresa lived among and served the poorest and most sick and downtrodden in India.

Who decides if you are somebody? The world around you? The news media? Your boss? Your friends? Your bank? Your spouse? Your family? Your resume? I don't think so. Besides, if those were the ones that determined your somebody-ness, they could easily take that away. Just think about all the somebodies that have eventually been declared nobodies (by the same folks that once said they were somebody.)

My net worth and your net worth are not measured on a spreadsheet. Your net worth is determined by the One that made you. You and I are somebody because God says so.

The old familiar sing-a-long says- "I am somebody because God loves me and I'm accepted just the way that I am. His love is higher; it's deeper and wider, than you and I will, ever understand." That was true in the 1990's when people still actually sang that song. And it is true today. And it will be true tomorrow.