Memoirs

I like memoirs. I like reading about people's lives. When I go to a bookstore these kinds of books are almost the only ones I pick up.

I like them because I can relate to most people's stories, the common human experiences, and many times the writer can more fully express my experiences.

Many memoirs cover only the highlights, the life changing and teaching experiences of a person's life. And if you read the memoir, you think that their life consisted only of these events. Their life was one climax, lesson and journey after another. The everyday things, such as, doing the laundry, washing dishes and sitting in traffic is left out. Reading memoirs can make me think my life is unusually boring because it is not made up entirely of "highlights".

I was reading in the Bible the other day these verses from Exodus 31:

1 Then the LORD said to Moses, 2 "See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with skill, ability and knowledge in all kinds of crafts- 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of craftsmanship. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given skill to all the craftsmen to make everything I have commanded you."

These men were given the skills needed to make everything that needed to be made for the Tabernacle - the place where the Lord dwelt with Israel.

I have to wonder about these men. What did they do before they worked on the Tabernacle? Did they make furniture, jewelry, and clothes? Did they realize that their skill was supposed to be used on something more than just clothes? Did their jobs frustrate them? Did they yearn to serve? Were their boring, everyday jobs just training for working on the Tabernacle?

And then I have to ask myself, am I in training? Are my skills supposed to be used for some kind of service?

I wish these men wrote memoirs. I would love to hear their stories of training.